Leading article: Time for some answers, Mr Fox

Questions concerning the relationship between the Defence Secretary, Liam Fox, and his friend and best man at his wedding, Adam Werritty, refuse to subside.

As we report today, a potential contractor with the Ministry of Defence believed that Mr Werritty was playing an official, advisory role to Mr Fox. Mr Werritty produced a business card to that effect, and was present at a business meeting with Mr Fox – without any officials – in a hotel room in Dubai.

This is not the first time a senior member of this Government has had to face charges of granting inappropriate access to a close friend. Similar allegations were also made against William Hague. In the case of Mr Fox, Mr Werritty has accompanied him on official trips yet the exact nature of dealings between them remain unclear.

This resulted yesterday in the Defence Secretary dodging the media on the 10th anniversary of the start of the Afghan war. For a government that prides itself on presentation, Mr Fox is proving a liability.