Fox may be Tory kingmaker as he joins leadership battle

LIAM FOX, the former defence secretary, could emerge as kingmaker in the Conservative leadership campaign after it emerged that more than 50 Tory MPs may give him their backing.

Sources close to Dr Fox said he could declare as soon as this evening, moments after nominations open at 6pm, a decade after he stood against David Cameron.

Nominations are due to close at midday tomorrow.

Voting takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays over the next few weeks to whittle down the number of candidates to the two who will go forward to the party membership.

Westminster sources said that Dr Fox could receive the backing of 50 Right-wing MPs.

This could give him a key role in the contest if he decides to back either of the favourites – Boris Johnson or Theresa May – at a later date.

One Conservative MP said that if Dr Fox became prime minister, his Scottish roots could help him to hold the United Kingdom together and stop Scotland breaking away from England and Wales.

Dr Fox, 55, was brought up in a coun- cil house in East Kilbride, in stark contrast to the privileged upbringing of Mr Cameron, who was educated at Eton College.

The MP told The Daily Telegraph that that while candidates like Boris Johnson were too “metropolitan”, he said: “Liam is Scottish. He can hold the union together.”

Asked about his intention to stand, Dr Fox said: “I’m not ruling it out, I’m not ruling it in – I’m going to think about it over this weekend,” he told Sky

News. “I’ll talk to my wife and talk to my colleagues and then you’ll be one of the first few million to know.“

Dr Fox studied medicine at Glasgow University and worked as a GP before being elected as an MP in 1992.

He first hinted that he would consider running in February, after he was asked in a BBC debate if he would give the leadership another shot. He replied with a grin: “Never say never again. We’d have to wait and see.

“At my age, at 54, nowadays in British politics that’s almost geriatric. According to the media you’ve got to be in your 30s or 40s. There’s a big debate to be had in this country about age but this is not the point to have it.”

Dr Fox was appointed defence secretary in 2010 but resigned in 2011 over claims he had given a friend access to his official work.