Rt Hon Sir Liam Fox

The Rt Hon Sir Liam was a Conservative Member of Parliament for North Somerset from 1992-2024. In John Major’s Government he served as a Minister at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and as Government Whip (Lord Commissioner of the Treasury). He had previously served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Michael Howard, then Home Secretary.

Between 1997 and 2010, he held several roles on the Conservative Party Opposition Front Bench such as Constitutional Affairs Spokesman, Shadow Health Secretary, Conservative Party Chairman, Shadow Foreign Secretary and Shadow Defence Secretary.

In May 2010, Prime Minister David Cameron appointed him Secretary of State for Defence. In 2013, he published ‘Rising Tides’ a book analysing crucial world issues with Tony Blair, Condoleezza Rice, Malcolm Rifkind and Donald Rumsfeld.

Between July 2016 and July 2019, he served in Prime Minister Theresa May’s Government as Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade. As International Trade Secretary he was tasked with creating the UK’s first Independent Trade Policy for 40 years post-Brexit. During his time in post he strongly argued for global trade liberalisation, championed free trade and supported a rules-based system with WTO reform.

He was the UK’s Nominee to be the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation in 2020, nominated by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on behalf of the UK Government.

Before entering politics, Sir Liam worked as an NHS doctor and then as a family GP. He is also a former Civilian Army Medical Officer and Divisional Surgeon with St John Ambulance. In 2012, he founded the military charity ‘Give Us Time’.

He was born in Scotland and attended St Bride’s High School, the biggest comprehensive state school in Europe, before studying medicine at the University of Glasgow Medical School.