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| Damian Green resigns: Theresa May's deputy quits after pornography claims | Damian Green resigns: Theresa May's deputy quits after pornography claims |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Damian Green, Theresa May’s most important ally in Government, has resigned as the First Secretary of State after admitting he made “misleading” statements about pornography found on his Commons computer in 2008. | |
| He will leave his role as First Secretary of State after independent adviser on ministers' interests, Sir Alex Allan, found he had breached the ministerial code. | |
| In a letter to the de facto deputy prime minister, Ms May wrote: “I am extremely sad to be writing this letter. We have been friends and colleagues throughout our whole political lives.” | |
| Mr Green described allegations that he downloaded or viewed pornography on his parliamentary computer as "unfounded and deeply hurtful", but admitted he had not been clear in his past statements on the issue. | |
| A summary of the investigation from the Cabinet Office said that allegations from the Conservative activist Kate Maltby were found to be “plausible” but that it was not possible to reach a definitive conclusion on the appropriateness of Mr Green’s behaviour. | |
| But, crucially, the Cabinet Office inquiry, said statements made by the First Secretary of State regarding allegation of indecent material found on his parliamentary computer almost a decade ago were “inaccurate and misleading”. | |
| The report added: “The Metropolitan Police Service has previously informed him of the existence of this material. These statements therefore fall short of the honesty requirement of the Seven Principles of Public Life and constitutes breaches of the Ministerial Code. Mr Green accepts this. | |
| The resignation will also prompt questions over the future of his Cabinet colleague David Davis after allies of the Brexit Secretary made clear he would quit his post if Mr Green resigned over the allegations of pornography. | |
| “David would find it quite difficult to stay in his job and not resign if Damian was pushed out because of anything related to what happened 10 years ago,” a friend of Mr Davis and Mr Green told the London Evening Standard. | |
| More follows… | More follows… |