FANTASTIC MR FOX?

How old is Liam Fox, who is he supporting in the Tory leadership race and what are his views on Brexit?

DR Liam Fox is a Tory MP and Cabinet Minister in Theresa May's Government.

The Conservative is the International Trade Secretary and was a leading figure in the 2016 Brexit referendum.

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 Dr Liam Fox is the Secretary of State for International TradeCredit: Reuters

How old is Liam Fox?

Liam Fox, 56, is the MP for North Somerset. He was first elected in 1992 and lives in London with his wife Jesme Baird.

The Tory MP was born in East Kilbride, Scotland and worked as a GP in Nailsea before becoming a Member of Parliament.

After rising through the ranks Mr Fox served as Shadow Foreign Secretary and Shadow Secretary of State for Defence from December 2005 to May 2010.

Mr Fox was appointed Secretary of State for Defence by then Prime Minister David Cameron.

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He resigned from this position in 2011 and returned to the back benches.

In 2016 he was appointed Secretary of State for International Trade by Prime Minister Theresa May.

Who is he supporting in the Tory leadership race?

The International Trade Secretary is backing Jeremy Hunt to become the next leader of the Conservative Party.

He has called for Boris Johnson, Hunt's rival for the job, to reveal what really happened in the row between Johnson and his girlfriend Carrie Symonds.

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Fox said it was better to be clear about the events of Friday morning, so the debate could focus on delivering Brexit.

Dr Fox said this morning on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "I think it is always easier to just give an explanation."

He said the "key thing is how to get onto the issues" and said "what we can have is it being a distraction".

 Dr Liam Fox appeared on the Andrew Marr Show on SundayCredit: Reuters
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What are his views on Brexit?

A lifelong eurosceptic, Mr Fox is one of the strongest advocates in Cabinet for a hard Brexit - including leaving the Customs Union.

Dr Fox has also shot down Johnson's Brexit plans, saying there would be no Brexit implementation period without a withdrawal agreement.

He told told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show it is "correct" that the absence of a withdrawal agreement would mean there is no implementation period.

He said: "If we leave the EU without a deal, the EU will apply tariffs to the UK because you can only have exemptions… if you already have a trade agreement to go to.

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"And, clearly, if we leave without a deal it's self-evident we don't have that agreement.

"So Article 24 doesn't hold in that circumstance and I've discussed that with the director-general of the World Trade Organisation and the attorney-general [Geoffrey Cox] has given us the same advice."

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox says Jeremy Hunt does has a 'chance' of getting a new Brexit deal from the EU

Why did Liam Fox resign in 2011?

Mr Fox resigned after pressure over his working relationship with friend and self-styled adviser Adam Werritty.

He was being investigated amid claims he broke the ministerial code.

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It emerged that lobbyist Werritty had met him on 18 foreign trips despite having no official role.

Werrity was a former flatmate of Fox and the best man at his wedding.

He was said to have been present at meetings Mr Fox had with military figures, diplomats and defence contractors.

In his resignation letter, Mr Fox said he had "mistakenly allowed the distinction between my personal interest and my government activities to become blurred".

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Did Liam Fox have to pay back any expenses?

In 2010 The Telegraph reported Mr Fox was the Conservative frontbencher with the highest expenses repayment after his appeal against a request to return £22,500 was rejected.

In 2012 he was ordered to repay £3,000 claimed for a second home where he allowed Mr Werritty to stay rent-free.

And in 2013 he claimed 3p of taxpayers' cash for a car journey of less than 100m.

UK's divorce bill figure can only come with final Brexit deal​ says Liam Fox
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