Globalisation:Rt. Hon Liam Fox

Background

Liam Fox has been a Conservative MP for 18 years and lives in Tickenham. He holds regular surgeries for constituents in Clevedon, Nailsea, Portishead and Yatton and has a reputation as a hard-working constituency MP.

He worked as a GP in Nailsea before becoming a member of Parliament and has held high office in both opposition and government. He has the experience inside and outside Parliament we need for good government.

Liam has been at the centre of local campaigns such as the defence of the green belt, especially around Long Ashton, Dundry and Failand. He has been a leading figure in the local battles such as the electricity pylons affecting Blackwell, Nailsea and Yatton. In Parliament he has campaigned for a Portishead railway link and famously described Portishead as the biggest cul-de-sac in Britain .

He is patron of a large number of local organisations and charities including Mencap, Children's Hospice South West, Clevedon Pier, Portishead lifeboat, the Jessie May Trust, the Curzon Cinema and numerous sports clubs.

Political Experience

Liam contested Roxburgh and Berwickshire in the 1987 General Election, and was elected as the Member of Parliament for Woodspring (renamed North Somerset for the 2010 General Election) in April 1992.

In June 1993, Liam was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to Michael Howard, then Home Secretary. In July 1994, he was appointed an Assistant Government Whip, and promoted to the position of Senior Government Whip the following year. He was a Minister at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from 1996 until the 1997 General Election.

In June 1997, Liam was appointed Opposition Front Bench Spokesman on Constitutional Affairs. For four years from May 1999 to November 2003 he served as Shadow Secretary of State for Heath before being appointed Co-Chairman of the Party in 2003. Subsequently, from May 2005 to December 2005, he served as Shadow Foreign Secretary. He then served as Shadow Secretary of State for Defence from December 2005 to May 2010.

Liam was appointed Secretary of State for Defence by Prime Minister David Cameron on 12th May 2010.

Recent Articles

This article is a Defence Policy and Business news article, from November 2010.

Secretary of State for Defence Dr Liam Fox has welcomed the news that 950 Canadian troops will remain in Afghanistan in a training capacity when their combat mission comes to an end in 2011.

Constable Lorant 'Junior' Hegedus, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, with the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team, supervises an Afghan National Police Officer on the Camp Nathan Smith pistol firing range

They, along with their NATO allies, have been building on the significant progress in the areas of security, diplomacy and development in Afghanistan; specifically building the capability and capacity of the Afghan National Security Forces. The 950 troops will be part of the NATO Training Mission - Afghanistan until 2014 and will be contributing to the goal of preparing the Afghans to take responsibility for their own security.

Ahead of the Lisbon Summit, where NATO will launch the transition process which will see Afghans begin to steadily take the lead for their own security, the Secretary of State for Defence said:

"We, along with our NATO colleagues, welcome the decision by the Canadian Government to continue their deployment of troops in Afghanistan. They will be fundamental in the ongoing efforts to develop the Afghan National Security Forces [ANSF].

"Having a capable and credible ANSF will be key in helping the Afghans to continue to bring security to their own country and guard against terrorism - and this in turn will reduce the threat to people at home in the UK."

Canada's new non-combat role will focus on four key areas: investing in the future of Afghan children and youth through education and health; advancing security, the rule of law and human rights; promoting regional diplomacy; and delivering humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people.

Announcing the continuation of military deployments to Afghanistan, Lawrence Cannon, Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, said:

"Building on strengths and accomplishments over the past years, Canada is committed to helping build a more secure, stable and self-sufficient Afghanistan that is no longer a safe haven for terrorists.

"The combat mission will end in 2011. As we continue to work alongside the Afghan people and the international community, Canada will continue to play an important role in supporting efforts toward a better future for all Afghans".