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UK Defence minister admits ‘mistakes’; PM Cameron decides Monday

Did Fox break the ministerial code on clearance, and why did Werritty have business cards as an advisor of the minister? (Photo PA)

British Defence Secretary Liam Fox has apologised over his working relationship with his former flatmate and best man Adam Werritty. Fox said it was “a mistake to allow distinctions to be blurred between my professional responsibilities and my personal loyalties to a friend”.

Mr Werritty, who is not employed by the MoD nor has national security clearance, joined meetings with Mr Fox. The prime minister has demanded answers on Monday.

The defence secretary, back in Britain following a trip to Libya, now faces a MoD inquiry into his working relationship with Mr Werritty. Mr Fox has also been under pressure over revelations that Mr Werritty, 34, made regular visits to see him at the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The MoD investigation will examine whether Fox broke the ministerial code by giving his friend access to the MoD and allowing him to go on official foreign trips. The code requires ministers to ensure there is no conflict between their public duties and private interests.

BBC political editor Nick Robinson said a finding that Mr Fox had done anything wrong in terms of breaking the ministerial code would “end his career as defence secretary and end his time in the Cabinet”.

The preliminary findings are due to be examined by the Prime Minister Cameron on Monday.

In his statement, Mr Fox said that at no stage did he or his department provide classified information or briefings to Mr Werritty or assist with his commercial work - “let alone benefit personally from this work”.

“Nevertheless, I do accept that given Mr Werritty's defence-related business interests, my frequent contacts with him may have given an impression of wrongdoing, and may also have given third parties the misleading impression that Mr Werritty was an official adviser rather than simply a friend,” he said.

He added that he should have ensured that any meetings with Mr Werritty, at which defence and security related issues were raised, were properly attended by officials and recorded - “to protect myself and the government from any suggestion of wrongdoing”.

Mr Fox has been under pressure in recent days after a series of revelations: A video from a Sri Lankan TV broadcast shows Mr Werritty attended a meeting with the Sri Lankan president with the defence secretary, although the MoD said Mr Fox attended the meeting with Mahinda Rajapaksa in a private capacity.

The defence secretary confirmed that Mr Werritty used to carry business cards which said he was an adviser to Mr Fox, adding that he told his friend it was “unacceptable” to carry such cards

An email correspondence published by The Guardian called into question Mr Fox's claim that a meeting with a Dubai businessmen had been impromptu - suggesting, rather, that Mr Werritty had been involved in planning the discussions for some time.

Jim Murphy, Labour's defence spokesman, told BBC radio: ”This has become murkier and murkier, and the main question that Liam Fox has to resolve is did his former flatmate and best man at his wedding ever have access to MoD meetings, MoD documents, conversations about Libya, Afghanistan, our forces or national security