16/10/2011 The Politics Show West

And in the west: We're live in Wootton Bassett today as Princess

Anne bestows the title 'Royal' on that stoical town.

Plus, can Dr Fox make a come back? I will be talking to one of his

close political friends in Somerset. All that's to come, live later in

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 1489 seconds

Hello. You join us here in the west country on the day that Wootton

Bassett gets an honour and on a weekend when the former Defence

Secretary, Liam Fox, sees his political career badly wounded. Who

says you need mates in Politics? Liam Fox found himself hounded out

of office because of his relationship with this man, Adam

Werrity. Parliamentary colleagues say he was right to stand down, but

that he can make a come back. We're talking to Dr Fox's other friends.

He is a charming man. He is somebody who worked hard all of his

career regardless of being a backbencher. He made a mistake, but

as far as we know he did not break any rules or laws so therefore, why

not? And live today in the town that stood for almost everybody.

Wootton Bassett becomes "royal" in Welcome along this Sunday morning.

The papers are pretty torrid today about one of the west country's

most prominent MPs, Dr Liam Fox. A former GP, his bedside manner made

him a favourite with many Conservative ladies of a certain

age, but will his undoubted charm keep him in politics? The Mail on

Sunday explores the relationship between Dr Fox and his friend Adam

Werrity. It says they had "his and his" suits made by the same tailor

in Hong Kong. Then the Sunday Telegraph: "Donors fury over lies."

The paper says Mr Fox faces a possible police investigation. And

the Observer: "Fox scandal lifts lid on lobby links."We'll be

discussing what all this means for Dr Fox and his local constituents,

but first Paul Barltrop has this report. We are talking in the

south-west about job losses. The highs and lows of a big player

in British politics and the West's most successful MP. He was helped

by having a fairly safe seat, with North Somerset voters giving him an

8,000 majority last year. And of course thank you to my fabulous

team, especially the battle bus watching was the man who was to

prove his undoing. Adam Werritty has been a close friend for more

than a decade. Many of the local Conservatives in the hall that

night knew him. I recognised him because we met them on the way in.

Councillors Nigel Ashton and Felicity Baker last month attended

Liam Fox's 50th birthday celebrations in London. The MP has

loyal friends. No-one would have thought to delve deeper. I have

known Liam Fox for about 20 years. Obviously a high-flyer, very

successful national politician and a successful local MP. I have only

known a dumb for probably three or four years, but he has been one of

a number of people that Liam has around him. I have never had any

reason to query that. Fox is the coalition's first big and

controversial departure. Day after day the Prime Minister resisted

pressure to push him out. It's quite a contrast to the last Labour

government. Professor Mark Wickham Jones has chronicled the way

ministers were despatched in the Blair-Brown era. Labour took a

rather more clinical, brutal view of how to deal with the situations.

When a minister ran into trouble, rightly or wrongly, Labour would

tend to resolve that issue very quickly. That nearly always meant

that the minister in question would stand down from the government.

the event it was the continuing media pressure that brought about

the resignation. A week and a half after it hit the headlines, Liam

Fox is still the subject of media attention. He is keeping a low

profile this weekend to be in his local constituency. When all the

camera crews have gone, at the question will remain. Cannot Liam

Fox bounce back? Local conservatives certainly hope so.

Over two decades he's earnt their respect and admiration. He will be

wasted on the backbenches. I can't imagine he will stay there, but

nevertheless, as a constituency MP, he is an excellent man and we

really want to keep him. So too some of his parliamentary

colleagues and neighbours who've watched him rise through the ranks.

Liam is a brilliant local MP. He is a charming man. He has worked hard

all of his career. Yes, I think he can. He made a mistake, but he did

not, as far as we know, break any rules or laws so why not. On that,

the final verdict is still awaited. The investigation by the cabinet

secretary into Liam Fox and his best man was meant to decide if he

could stay in government. It'll now determine if he can ever come back.

Well let's cross live to Wootton Basset where they are preparing for

that royal visit this afternoon. The local MP James Gray is there

and he joins me now. Well come along to the Politics

Show. What, in your opinion, has Dr Fox done wrong? I know absolutely

nothing about that at all, nor does anybody. The press say they do, but

do not. We are all looking forward to the Cabinet Secretary who is rip

porting on the whole thing, after all that comes out, we will know

what Liam and Adam did and what process may then follow. Right now

nobody knows anything. I am afraid to say I know nothing about Adam

Werrity. Was he right to go? Considering lots of people seem

vague about what he has done wrong. An enormous amount of pressure on

him and on the government and presumably he must know himself

that it was the right thing to do. He said openly that he blurred the

lines between his private life and his political life. I personally

know nothing about that, but he presumably does. Liam has been a

first class Defence Secretary. We here at Wootton Bassett a great

ball to him because he played a large part in saving Lynam which is

terribly important for the local economy. He has been a very good

local MP in Somerset everything I know has been his first class, but

it sounds as though he got something wrong in some areas of

his private life. Do you think you will want to remain as a local MP?

I very much hope that he does. I know that his constituents think

highly of him. As a backbencher, I would say that is an honourable

profession. There is more to Parliament then being a minister so

I am sure he will make a useful contribution. He is a bit of a

standard bearer for the true Conservatives, the right-wing

Conservatives so I know he will be doing good things from the back

benches in years to come. While you are at Wootton Bassett, what is it

like there this morning? Excitement? It is a fantastic

atmosphere all around. Bells are ringing, soldiers are coming and

going. There is a wonderful church service. I was at the Conservative

Club listening to poems about the war. It will be a fantastic day.

The Prime Minister and the new Defence Secretary will be here

later as well as the Princess Royal herself. It will be a fantastic day.

The atmosphere on the High Street is electric. Thank you very much

for joining us this morning. Anita Heappey is Chair of the North

Somerset Conservative Party and friend of Dr Fox. Why are you

shocked? That he resigned? About the whole thing. Yes, very shocked.

I have to think back to only a few weeks ago when it was his birthday

party and everything was a fantastic. I understand he is home

today, how do you think he will be feeling? I am not very good at

supposing what other people think. I would think he would be very

tired, I would imagine, because of the stress and strain of the last

10 days. And probably thinking, you know, what do we do now? And

thinking about life on the backbenches, yes. Is the game up? I

hope not. Why? Because Liam is an excellent constituency MP. I have

worked in various constituencies and I suppose I come from any

indoctrinated Conservative background and their MPs I have

worked for before have been Cabinet ministers. One is now in the Lords

and one is the current Cabinet and they were never around the way that

Liam is. Liam does not just parachute into do events, he is

here that the whole of the constituency. He lives in the

constituency, he goes to the pub, he turned up at the Cider Festival

in July it. Liam is he as a person, he is not just, I will come down to

the constituency, to my surgery and go back to London. Did he have Adam

Werrity in tow? No. I have only seen at them in the constituency

once when there was a party after Liam got married as a thank you to

everybody and, I think he was here on election night. That is it.

what was his role? Have you been able to find out? No. As far as the

constituency is concerned, he did not have a role. We see politicians

here every week and most of them have an entourage of some sort.

have seen Adam at conference. Another and that, it was just when

he came to the wedding. We do not know what will come out, if

anything. Do you think he is safe as an MP, even? I hope so. That is

all I can really say on that. I, like everyone else, is waiting for

the report to come out. I wish everybody else had turned, that we

had not had all of this pre-trial when there is a formal process

going through. Sir I am waiting for the report. Do you think he is --

de you think his behaviour was appropriate as a defence secretary?

He should have been more careful who his friends were. He has

admitted himself that he has made mistakes. I think, you know, if you

can admitted yourself, then that is the first thing. Thank you very

much for joining us. Well, now back to Wootton Bassett

and a special day for that stoical town. It's to become the first in

more than a hundred years to have the title "royal" bestowed on it.

Wootton Bassett stood shoulder to shoulder with the families of

fallen servicemen and women. It's a town that always kept politics out

of its affairs, but there will be some prominent figures there today

including the new Defence Secretary Philip Hammond. John Maguire is in

Wootton now. Good morning. It will be a warm

welcome for Philip Hammond because there is an incredible atmosphere

here today. We have both reported from this town many times, each

repatriation had an individual characteristic of its own partly

because of the tone set by the family is all certain regiments

that soldiers came from, but this is very much about townsfolk today.

This is what it is all about. Those are the new signs that are going up

just outside. I want to take you over to meet Chris, the former

mayor of the tongue. He is always very busily talking to people,

Chris, hello. Another momentous day for Wootton Bassett. Some it out

for us today. I think it is a mixture of sadness and also a

mixture of happiness. It is very difficult to explain. We lost

another by a in Helmand province yesterday and we feel dreadfully

sorry for his family and we will be remembering his family today. But,

also the honour of having Royle bestowed on our town. The first

round for 102 years. I think there is a great deal of pride in that.

Some people say it derived out of sadness, but I would like to put it

a different way. Our town has been awarded this by a lot of people in

the country and abroad, as well. Thousands of people wanted us to

have this. We did not ask for it, we said we did not want it.

remember talking to year about the year ago and you said you did not

want it. We said we did not want it. We can't ask for anything, but if

this is what the people want us to have then we have to be gracious

about accepting it. I am very proud personally. I think it is a great

honour to the town and, when you look at what the town has done, I

suppose you could say very well earned. We have shown dignity,

respect and compassion and I think they are three very British values

and ones we should treasure. This town has great community spirit. It

is what a town should be. We should be helping each other and our

fellow man. Congratulations tea and everyone in the town. You have put

Wootton Bassett on the map around the world. Enjoy today. The Prince

has hit a Royal will be here. Take a look at the scene behind me. All

sorts of people. This is what it has always been like at Wootton

Bassett throughout the ceremony is that have been here over the last

couple of years. The Royal Legion bikers there. Then there being

interviewed by BBC News, members of the public. Everyone I speak to

have their own motivation. Many veterans who are allied to certain

regiments and squadrons. We will see the Royal British Legion he

again, the standard bearers. They stands so straight and upright. A

dog getting in on the act. Interesting and I think it is worth

leaving you with love. That, despite the fact that you like

Wootton Bassett, the baton has been handed over and they will carry on

the solemn process of welcoming back our fallen soldiers serving

overseas. Thank you very much. Great that it

is a lovely day. The Defence expert Air Vice

Marshall Tony Mason, who lives in Gloucestershire, joins us now.

What has Wootton Bassett win for you in the military? I think it

marks the enormous sacrifice that the armed forces have made, but it

has given an imbalance picture, hasn't it? What it has shown us is

the cost and the sacrifice, but what it has not shown us is a

success and achievements of the armed forces over 10 years. It has

been a huge effort by the armed forces at a considerable cost. You

talk about successes, have there been many? OK, if we recall 10

years ago, Afghanistan was an international event and training

sanctuary for Al-Qaeda. That has gone. Al-Qaeda has been dissipated,

leadership taken out and we do now have the traditional insurgency.

One of the reasons that I respect this last 10 years of the armed

forces is the circumstances they have been fighting in. It has been

an insurgency which is difficult. I know that country and it is a

difficult country. And there is another factor which you and I are

both aware of and that is the country has never really been

wholeheartedly in support of the policy. Always supporting the trips,

and they have known that and still done their job and we reach the

stage after 10 years where there is an opportunity, an opportunity now

for greater stability in the country. We are leaving in 2014,

come what may say it could slide back. It could very well slide back.

But what we have done, hopefully is bring breathing space. What we have

never had his political control. The military has been our

responsibility and NATO's and foreign responsibility, but in the

last resort it has to be an Afghan solution. Let's talk about defence

secretaries. If you were in the Ministry of Defence in your days as

Vice-Marshal and the Defence Secretary tender with a friend,

what we do think? It happened. Look back at Margaret Thatcher when

David Hart makes Adam Werrity look like an angel of mercy. Oh yes, it

has happened before, but it did not help and it has not helped as far

as we can see. I am not personally aware of the ripples in MoD, but as

you say I can project myself back and if I thought my advice has been

countered by somebody or influence coming in from other sources

through a back door, then I would not be a happy bunny. So did you

think he had to go? I was uncertain. Like any to, I did not know what

had happened. What worried me about it was the evasiveness. First there

was one answer, then there was something else, then another. What

we need above all is stability in that position. Thank you very much

for coming in this Sunday morning. And that's it from the west this

week. The Politics Show continues with Jon Sopel in London. If you