Liam Fox

The Right Honourable Sir Liam Fox MP
Official portrait, 2017
Secretary of State for International Trade
In office 13 July 2016 – 24 July 2019
Prime Minister	Theresa May
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Liz Truss
President of the Board of Trade
In office 19 July 2016 – 24 July 2019
Prime Minister	Theresa May
Preceded by	Greg Clark
Succeeded by	Liz Truss
Secretary of State for Defence
In office 12 May 2010 – 14 October 2011
Prime Minister	David Cameron
Preceded by	Bob Ainsworth
Succeeded by	Philip Hammond
Chairman of the Conservative Party
In office 6 November 2003 – 4 May 2005 Serving with The Lord Saatchi
Leader	Michael Howard
Preceded by	Theresa May
Succeeded by	Francis Maude
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
In office 23 July 1996 – 1 May 1997
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	Mark Lennox-Boyd
Succeeded by	The Baroness Symons
Lord Commissioner of the Treasury
In office 28 November 1995 – 23 July 1996
Prime Minister	John Major
Preceded by	David Willetts
Succeeded by	Patrick McLoughlin
Shadow Cabinet posts Shadow Secretary of State for Defence In office 6 December 2005 – 11 May 2010 Leader David Cameron Preceded by Michael Ancram Succeeded by Bob Ainsworth Shadow Foreign Secretary In office 10 May 2005 – 6 December 2005 Leader Michael Howard Preceded by Michael Ancram Succeeded by William Hague Shadow Secretary of State for Health In office 15 June 1999 – 6 November 2003 Leader William Hague Iain Duncan Smith Preceded by Ann Widdecombe Succeeded by Tim Yeo Shadow Constitutional Affairs Spokesperson In office 1 June 1998 – 15 June 1999 Leader William Hague Preceded by Michael Ancram Succeeded by George Young
Member of Parliament for North Somerset Woodspring (1992–2010)
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 April 1992
Preceded by	Sir Paul Dean
Majority	17,536 (28.3%)[1]
Personal details
Born	(1961-09-22) 22 September 1961 (age 62) East Kilbride, Scotland
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Jesme Baird ​ (m. 2005)​
Alma mater	University of Glasgow (MB ChB)
Website	Official website
Medical career
Profession	General practitioner Civilian army general practitioner

Sir Liam Fox (born 22 September 1961) is a British politician who served as Secretary of State for International Trade from 2016 to 2019 and Secretary of State for Defence from 2010 to 2011. A member of the Conservative Party, he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Somerset, formerly Woodspring, since 1992.

Fox studied medicine at the University of Glasgow and worked as a GP and civilian army medical GP before being elected as an MP. After holding several ministerial roles under John Major, Fox served as Constitutional Affairs Spokesman from 1998 to 1999, Shadow Health Secretary from 1999 to 2003, Chair of the Conservative Party from 2003 to 2005, Shadow Foreign Secretary in 2005 and Shadow Defence Secretary from 2005 to 2010.

In the 2009 expenses scandal, he was the Shadow Cabinet minister found to have the largest over-claim on expenses and, as a result, was forced to repay the most money. In 2010, he was appointed Defence Secretary by Prime Minister David Cameron, a position from which he resigned on 14 October 2011 over allegations that he had given a close friend, lobbyist Adam Werritty, inappropriate access to the Ministry of Defence and allowed him to join official trips overseas.

In July 2016, in the wake of the United Kingdom's vote to leave the European Union, Fox was appointed the first Secretary of State for International Trade by new Prime Minister Theresa May. He was also made President of the Board of Trade. Fox has twice stood unsuccessfully for the leadership of the Conservative Party, in 2005 and 2016. In July 2019, he lost his cabinet position when new Prime Minister Boris Johnson appointed his cabinet.

He was knighted in the 2023 Political Honours for public and political service.^[2]