No defence

Dr Fox’s remarks were those of an embittered man who still seems in denial about his misjudgment in having, by his political side at the MoD and on countless overseas trips, a freelance operator who had not been security vetted and who was being financed by companies with assorted business interests.

A former chairman of the Conservative Party who campaigned strongly against New Labour sleaze, Dr Fox should have known, from the moment that he accepted the seals of office, that this arrangement contravened the Ministerial Code.

While the Prime Minister was in the dark about Dr Fox’s misconduct, this does not excuse his flippancy at Prime Minister’s Questions when he tried to compare the Defence Secretary’s resignation favourably to New Labour’s many scandals. That is not good enough. On the question of sleaze, Mr Cameron has repeatedly said: “It is not enough simply to make a difference. We must be different.”

Furthermore, it was striking that the Tory leader completely ignored his Labour counterpart when Ed Miliband asked whether other Ministers had circumvented official channels with their hiring of advisors.

While the trading of insults at this weekly ritual, or, in this case, scandals, may fire up backbenchers, it does little to engender confidence in the political process, and that this Government has learned from its predecessor’s mistakes.

Some contrition from both the PM and Dr Fox might, therefore, have helped to demonstrate that this Government understands the need for transparency at all times.