Dr. Liam Fox


1961 -

Politician. Born in East Kilbride, Fox was educated at St Bride's High School there, followed by the University of Glasgow, where he studied medicine. A prize-winning debater, Fox was also active in politics, rising to become President of the Glasgow University Conservative Club.

He went on to work as a general practitioner in Buckinghamshire and Somerset (England), before fighting the parliamentary seat of Roxburgh and Berwickshire in 1987. He lost to the Liberal Democrats, but was successfully elected in the English seat of Woodspring (North Somerset) in 1992. The same year, Fox was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to Michael Howard, then Home Secretary. By 1994, he was a Government Whip and then served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (1996-97). In opposition, he served as Spokesman on Constitutional Affairs (1997-99), Shadow Secretary of State for Health (1999 - 2003) and Shadow Defence Secretary (2005-10).

Fox managed Michael Howard's campaign to become party leader in 2003 and was appointed joint chairman of the party as his reward. In 2005, he was promoted to Shadow Foreign Secretary and put himself forward in the election for Conservative Leader in the same year, but was unsuccessful.

With the election of the coalition government in 2010, Fox was appointed Secretary of State for Defence, but resigned the following year after questions over his business dealings and connections to a lobbyist.


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