# Liam Fox

Liam Fox (born 22 September 1961) s 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, Fox served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Woodspring from 1992 to 2010, and (after boundary changes) North Somerset until the 2024 general election, when he was defeated.

## Quotes
### 2016

* Most new immigrants move into the private rented sector which has grown as the immigrant population has grown. Competition for rented accommodation obliges all those in the private rented sector to pay high rents which take a large share of income and makes saving to buy a home even harder. These resulting high rents and a shortage of housing make it much more difficult for young people to set up home on their own so they have to spend more time in house shares or with their parents.
** EU referendum: Vote Leave in housing appeal to young BBC News (2 June 2016)
* This country is not the free-trading nation it once was. We have become too lazy, and too fat on our successes in previous generations, companies who could be contributing to our national prosperity - but choose not to because it might be too difficult or too time-consuming or because they can't play golf on a Friday afternoon - we've got to be saying to them if you want to share in the prosperity of our country you have a duty to contribute to the prosperity of our country.
** At a Conservative Way Forward event. (September 10, 2016)
* As a newly independent WTO member outside the EU, we will continue to fight for trade liberalisation as well as potentially helping developing markets trade their way out of poverty by giving them preferential access to our markets. I believe the UK is in a prime position to become a world leader in free trade because of the brave and historic decision of the British people to leave the European Union. We are leaving the EU, we are not leaving Europe and we are ready to take our place in an open, liberal and competitive globalised trading environment.
** Liam Fox predicts free EU trade post-Brexit BBC News (29 September 2016)

### 2017

* The free trade agreement that we will have to do with the European Union should be one of the easiest in human history.../ /....The only reason that we wouldn’t come to a free and open agreement is because politics gets in the way of economics.
** BBC Today programme (20 July 2017)
* You can not leave the European Union and be in the single market and the customs union.
** Brexit transition period could take two years, says Fox BBC News (20 July 2017)
* [Failure to agree a deal is] not exactly a nightmare scenario
** Brexit: Emily Thornberry predicts no deal with the EU BBC News (22 October 2017)
* [Talks would only be complicated if the] European elite tried to punish Britain for having the audacity to use our legal rights to leave the European Union
** Brexit: Emily Thornberry predicts no deal with the EU BBC News (22 October 2017)
* We don't want there to be a hard border but the United Kingdom is going to be leaving the single market and customs union.
** Brexit: Ireland 'to play tough' over talks - commissioner BBC News (26 November 2017)

### 2018

* There is a 60‑40 chance of no-deal Brexit.
** Interviewed by The Sunday Times (5 August 2018)

### 2019

* a customs union means no independent trade policy
** May's government survives no-confidence vote BBC News (16 January 2019)
* You've got a Leave population and a Remain Parliament.
** Remainer MPs trying to steal Brexit, says Liam Fox BBC News (20 January 2019)
* Parliament has not got the right to hijack the Brexit process because Parliament has said to the people of this country: 'We make a contract with you, you will make the decision and we will honour it.' What we are now getting are some of those who were always absolutely opposed to the result of the referendum, trying to hijack Brexit and, in fact, steal the result from the people.
** Remainer MPs trying to steal Brexit, says Liam Fox BBC News (20 January 2019)
* To attempt to have a delay mechanism in order to thwart the process of Brexit itself is actually politically completely unacceptable
** Liam Fox welcomes Brexiteers' tests for Theresa May BBC News (3 March 2019)
* It's time we went back to a proper Brexit.
** Brexit: MPs vote on next steps BBC News (1 April 2019)

## External links

* Dr Liam Fox official homepage
* Dr Liam Fox MP former constituency website – inactive
* Profile at the Conservative Party
* Profile: Liam Fox, BBC News, 16 October 2002
* Profile: Liam Fox, BBC News, 10 November 2003