This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/dec/04/met-chief-cressida-dick-condemns-former-officers-over-damian-green-claims
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Met police chief condemns former officers over Damian Green claims | Met police chief condemns former officers over Damian Green claims |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Cressida Dick says Neil Lewis and Bob Quick were wrong to discuss allegations that porn was found on minister’s computer in 2008 | |
| Rajeev Syal | |
| Mon 4 Dec 2017 18.41 GMT | |
| First published on Mon 4 Dec 2017 10.11 GMT | |
| Share on Facebook | |
| Share on Twitter | |
| Share via Email | |
| View more sharing options | |
| Share on LinkedIn | |
| Share on Pinterest | |
| Share on Google+ | |
| Share on WhatsApp | |
| Share on Messenger | |
| Close | |
| Former officers who have spoken publicly about allegations that pornographic material was found on a computer belonging to the first secretary of state, Damian Green, could face prosecution, the Metropolitan police commissioner has said. | Former officers who have spoken publicly about allegations that pornographic material was found on a computer belonging to the first secretary of state, Damian Green, could face prosecution, the Metropolitan police commissioner has said. |
| Cressida Dick said officers’ duty of confidentiality continued after they left their posts. The alleged material, said to be “extreme” video footage, was gathered after a police raid on parliament in 2008. | Cressida Dick said officers’ duty of confidentiality continued after they left their posts. The alleged material, said to be “extreme” video footage, was gathered after a police raid on parliament in 2008. |
| Green, Theresa May’s close ally, who is the subject of a Cabinet Office inquiry, has strongly denied that he downloaded or watched pornography on the computer. | Green, Theresa May’s close ally, who is the subject of a Cabinet Office inquiry, has strongly denied that he downloaded or watched pornography on the computer. |
| The de facto deputy prime minister, who is fighting for his political position amid some Tory calls for his removal, will privately welcome Dick’s intervention. | The de facto deputy prime minister, who is fighting for his political position amid some Tory calls for his removal, will privately welcome Dick’s intervention. |
| The allegations were first made last month by the former Met police assistant commissioner Bob Quick, who led a 2008 inquiry into Home Office leaks, which involved Green’s Commons office being searched. | The allegations were first made last month by the former Met police assistant commissioner Bob Quick, who led a 2008 inquiry into Home Office leaks, which involved Green’s Commons office being searched. |
| On Friday, a retired Met detective, Neil Lewis, claimed “thousands” of thumbnail images of legal pornography had been found. | On Friday, a retired Met detective, Neil Lewis, claimed “thousands” of thumbnail images of legal pornography had been found. |
| Dick told LBC that she condemned the public comments made by former officers regarding the 2008 investigation. | Dick told LBC that she condemned the public comments made by former officers regarding the 2008 investigation. |
| “It is my view that what they have done, based on my understanding of what they are saying, what they have done is wrong. And I condemn it,” she said. | “It is my view that what they have done, based on my understanding of what they are saying, what they have done is wrong. And I condemn it,” she said. |
| “Police officers have a duty of confidentiality. We come into contact with personal information very regularly, sometimes extremely sensitive. In my view, that duty endures. It endures after you leave the service, so I believe that what this officer, and indeed other retired officers, appears to have done is wrong and my professional standards department will be reviewing what has happened in relation to how information has been handled and if any offences are disclosed we will investigate them.” | “Police officers have a duty of confidentiality. We come into contact with personal information very regularly, sometimes extremely sensitive. In my view, that duty endures. It endures after you leave the service, so I believe that what this officer, and indeed other retired officers, appears to have done is wrong and my professional standards department will be reviewing what has happened in relation to how information has been handled and if any offences are disclosed we will investigate them.” |
| The former officers spoke out after the Cabinet Office launched an investigation into accusations of inappropriate behaviour by Green towards a journalist, Kate Maltby, which the MP has described as “completely false”. | The former officers spoke out after the Cabinet Office launched an investigation into accusations of inappropriate behaviour by Green towards a journalist, Kate Maltby, which the MP has described as “completely false”. |
| Allies of the first secretary of state have expressed concern about the comments made by Quick and Lewis regarding an investigation into government leaks when Green was an opposition home affairs spokesman. | Allies of the first secretary of state have expressed concern about the comments made by Quick and Lewis regarding an investigation into government leaks when Green was an opposition home affairs spokesman. |
| Lewis told the BBC last week he was shocked at the volume of pornographic material found on Green’s Commons computer and had “no doubt whatsoever” it had been amassed by the Tory MP. | Lewis told the BBC last week he was shocked at the volume of pornographic material found on Green’s Commons computer and had “no doubt whatsoever” it had been amassed by the Tory MP. |
| The former Conservative minister David Mellor said on Good Morning Britain on Monday: “Damian Green should have said: ‘I will resign to clear my name,’ and he would have had lots of sympathy. Damian Green is the sort of guy who under Mrs Thatcher would have been the minister of state for latrines and would have lived in total obscurity. Instead of which he becomes deputy prime minister, he rises without trace. He would not be missed for a millisecond if he left government. It would be better if he did.” | The former Conservative minister David Mellor said on Good Morning Britain on Monday: “Damian Green should have said: ‘I will resign to clear my name,’ and he would have had lots of sympathy. Damian Green is the sort of guy who under Mrs Thatcher would have been the minister of state for latrines and would have lived in total obscurity. Instead of which he becomes deputy prime minister, he rises without trace. He would not be missed for a millisecond if he left government. It would be better if he did.” |
| Crispin Blunt, the Tory MP for Reigate, hit back: “Damian Green, who I’ve been with for 20 years in parliament, is an outstanding parliamentarian. He’s got the utmost integrity and probity. Just because he hasn’t had a rocket high media profile doesn’t mean he wasn’t being a highly effective minister and shadow minister over the course of the last 20 years. | Crispin Blunt, the Tory MP for Reigate, hit back: “Damian Green, who I’ve been with for 20 years in parliament, is an outstanding parliamentarian. He’s got the utmost integrity and probity. Just because he hasn’t had a rocket high media profile doesn’t mean he wasn’t being a highly effective minister and shadow minister over the course of the last 20 years. |
| “It’s a big problem for Theresa May and it’s a big problem for the government because it’s a really good appointment. He’s a steady pair of hands there.” | “It’s a big problem for Theresa May and it’s a big problem for the government because it’s a really good appointment. He’s a steady pair of hands there.” |
| Meanwhile, the UK’s data privacy regulator has issued a warning to parliament after two Conservative MPs defending Green claimed they had shared their passwords with staff. | Meanwhile, the UK’s data privacy regulator has issued a warning to parliament after two Conservative MPs defending Green claimed they had shared their passwords with staff. |
| The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said it was “making inquiries” after Nadine Dorries, the MP for Mid Bedfordshire, claimed to have allowed her staff to “log on to my computer on my desk with my login everyday. Including interns on exchange programmes.” | The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said it was “making inquiries” after Nadine Dorries, the MP for Mid Bedfordshire, claimed to have allowed her staff to “log on to my computer on my desk with my login everyday. Including interns on exchange programmes.” |
| Nick Boles, the MP for Grantham and Stamford, tweeted that he often forgot his own password and would “ask my staff what it is”. | Nick Boles, the MP for Grantham and Stamford, tweeted that he often forgot his own password and would “ask my staff what it is”. |
| The House of Commons handbook states that staff must not share passwords, but the rules do not appear to extend to MPs and their login details. | The House of Commons handbook states that staff must not share passwords, but the rules do not appear to extend to MPs and their login details. |
| Damian Green | |
| Metropolitan police | |
| Police | |
| Conservatives | |
| Cressida Dick | |
| news | |
| Share on Facebook | |
| Share on Twitter | |
| Share via Email | |
| Share on LinkedIn | |
| Share on Pinterest | |
| Share on Google+ | |
| Share on WhatsApp | |
| Share on Messenger | |
| Reuse this content |