What punishment would a SofS get for breaching the official secrets act?

[airborne_artist]

I doubt there's a sexual element - seems pretty clear it's probably about money, but until they make clear who has made what money and how, the rumours about sex will continue.

Perhaps they want them to continue so we forget there might have been a financial, not sexual motive. It'd be much easier to say "OK, I'm gay/bi-sexual, even though I'm married" than to say "We've/he's had our/his snout(s) in the trough and it's all in a Swiss bank account".

[Clearedtoroll]

I think it's sad and surprising that a minority here seem to have subconsciously absorbed the tabloids and decided he's guilty. He may be guilty (though I'm not sure what of? Upsetting the Guardian?), and certainly nothing is proven yet.

Given the circumstances, I think he's done a pretty reasonable job compared to his recent predecessors, most of whose names I can't even remember. Whilst that shouldn't stop him going if he is proven guilty of something serious, it would be frustrating to see him go because he had coffee with his mate one too many times and may have had 'a man stay in his flat oh he must be gay'.

[racedo]

Not sure that Fox is guilty of any breach of security, but the only major breach that went unpunished (that I know about) dates from 1982 when former Labour Foreign Affairs minister Edward (Ted) Rowlands MP (now Baron Rowlands), in a debate in Parliament on the Falklands War on 3 April 1982 revealed that we (the British) were reading Argentine diplomatic codes. Rowlands was criticised for revealing this intelligence source, as the likely result of his disclosure was that the Argentinians would secure their systems and the intelligence would dry up. Mrs Thatcher called it "utterly devastating".

As Labour MP for Merthyr Tydfil, Rowlands was an experienced former Foreign Office minister in the Labour government who was involved in earlier Falklands negotiations in the late 1970's

He remained a Labour MP and from 1987 onwards served on the Foreign Affairs Select Committee. His "reading the codes" disclosure obviously had no effect on his future prospects as he was appointed a CBE in 2002, and in June 2004 he was given a life peerage, as Baron Rowlands of Merthyr Tydfil and of Rhymney.

Or the alternate view was that it was sending a message, done it such a way that HMG would proclaim outrage but completely deniable. The agreement done with MP well in advance, thus forcing Argentina to spend time worrying about what secrets were being read and which were not but the real Human Intel info sources still kept under wraps. Classic disinformation technique.

The clear fact that the MP didn't suffer or get abused from press for ever after have always brought me closer to the latter.

[LFFC]

Body Language

Who's the Boss?



Adam Werritty and Liam Fox in 2007 in Middle East - MailOnline

[Grabbers]

Fox resigns. You'll have to provide your own link.

Good or bad for us?

[Willard Whyte]

Liam Fox and Adam Werritty: latest - Telegraph

Good or bad?

Not sure. I'm unlikely to get my job back as a result of his departure so ultimately I don't give a to55.

Philip Hammond rumoured to take over SecDef. Don't know much about him.

[Kluseau]

Philip Hammond? Who's going to present Top Gear then?

The Beeb link for the resignation story is here:
BBC News - Liam Fox quits as defence secretary

[LFFC]

Philip Hammond

Why don't you make up your own mind?

The new Secretary of State, Defence may well be:

Philip Hammond

Conservative MP for Runnymede and Weybridge
Secretary of State, Transport (since 12 May 2010)

Although he seems to have an interesting stance on Trident.

[BOAC]

I see he has voted 'strongly' against the Hunting Ban - there you go. Job done.

[WPH]

No doubt he's supported Fox hunting this week!

[fantom]

Good or bad for us?

Good.

Longer runways; more beer; bigger wimmin and no nite-flying.