Tally Ho!
Even though blood-sports are now officially banned in the UK - a full-blown fox hunt is now underway in the columns of the press.
The fox in question is the defence secretary - Dr Liam Fox - a former GP from East Kilbride who has been run to ground over of the involvement of a 'close friend' - in some of his dealings as a government minister.
The essential point being made is - why does this 'close friend' have such access to Liam Fox - both at home and abroad - when he appears to have no professional reason for enjoying such close proximity to a senior member of the government?
Why indeed - and so a formal investigation has been set in train to uncover the facts - which is being carried out by a senior civil servant in the defence department.
The Prime Minitser is ecpecting a report on his desk first thing Monday morning - apparently - then all will become clear.
The nation awaits with baited breath.
But the sub-text of all this is the political machinations inside the Conservative party - and the continuing use of the term 'close friend' to describe Adam Werritty - who is 17 years younger than Liam Fox, his former flate-mate and best man at the good doctor's wedding.
Nudge, nudge - wink,wink - know what I mean - without saying it openly of course - is what the press pack is up to of course.
How can a politician go through most of his adult life as a bachelor - before getting married in his late 40s - without thee being something dodgy going on in his - ahem - private life?
Gordon Brown was the subject of similar tales for much of his political career - until Tony Blair famously advised that he would never become Prime Minister - unless Gordon got married.
So he did - and that shot the fox - so to speak and ended all the nasty, unfounded rumours.
The same thing is happening to Liam Fox - though in carefully coded language.
But the real issue is not his private life which the press would love - only whether there is a breach of security or government protocol.
Let's see what tomorrow brings.
The fox in question is the defence secretary - Dr Liam Fox - a former GP from East Kilbride who has been run to ground over of the involvement of a 'close friend' - in some of his dealings as a government minister.
The essential point being made is - why does this 'close friend' have such access to Liam Fox - both at home and abroad - when he appears to have no professional reason for enjoying such close proximity to a senior member of the government?
Why indeed - and so a formal investigation has been set in train to uncover the facts - which is being carried out by a senior civil servant in the defence department.
The Prime Minitser is ecpecting a report on his desk first thing Monday morning - apparently - then all will become clear.
The nation awaits with baited breath.
But the sub-text of all this is the political machinations inside the Conservative party - and the continuing use of the term 'close friend' to describe Adam Werritty - who is 17 years younger than Liam Fox, his former flate-mate and best man at the good doctor's wedding.
Nudge, nudge - wink,wink - know what I mean - without saying it openly of course - is what the press pack is up to of course.
How can a politician go through most of his adult life as a bachelor - before getting married in his late 40s - without thee being something dodgy going on in his - ahem - private life?
Gordon Brown was the subject of similar tales for much of his political career - until Tony Blair famously advised that he would never become Prime Minister - unless Gordon got married.
So he did - and that shot the fox - so to speak and ended all the nasty, unfounded rumours.
The same thing is happening to Liam Fox - though in carefully coded language.
But the real issue is not his private life which the press would love - only whether there is a breach of security or government protocol.
Let's see what tomorrow brings.
