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| Damian Green may be replaced as part of new year cabinet reshuffle | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Theresa May will wait until the new year to replace her sacked first secretary of state Damian Green, raising the possibility that the appointment might be part of a wider cabinet reshuffle. | Theresa May will wait until the new year to replace her sacked first secretary of state Damian Green, raising the possibility that the appointment might be part of a wider cabinet reshuffle. |
| Green, a close ally of the prime minister and her de facto deputy, was asked to step down after an investigation by the cabinet secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood, found his vehement denials about the discovery of pornography on his office computer were “inaccurate and misleading”. | Green, a close ally of the prime minister and her de facto deputy, was asked to step down after an investigation by the cabinet secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood, found his vehement denials about the discovery of pornography on his office computer were “inaccurate and misleading”. |
| On Thursday, the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, who is among those tipped as a possible replacement, said Green had lied, and it had been right for May to sack him. | On Thursday, the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, who is among those tipped as a possible replacement, said Green had lied, and it had been right for May to sack him. |
| Asked when Green might be replaced, May’s spokesman said this would not happen before parliament went into recess later on Thursday, pushing the timetable past the festive period. | Asked when Green might be replaced, May’s spokesman said this would not happen before parliament went into recess later on Thursday, pushing the timetable past the festive period. |
| “In terms of roles, that’s obviously a decision for the prime minister, which she’ll announce in due course,” he said. | “In terms of roles, that’s obviously a decision for the prime minister, which she’ll announce in due course,” he said. |
| There had been speculation May was planning a cabinet shake-up and replacing Green could be a chance to do so. There is less of a pressing need to replace him than with the other two cabinet minister’s May has lost in recent weeks – the defence secretary Michael Fallon and international development secretary Priti Patel – because Green does not have the same departmental responsibilities. | There had been speculation May was planning a cabinet shake-up and replacing Green could be a chance to do so. There is less of a pressing need to replace him than with the other two cabinet minister’s May has lost in recent weeks – the defence secretary Michael Fallon and international development secretary Priti Patel – because Green does not have the same departmental responsibilities. |
| He chairs several cabinet committees, but May’s spokesman said the next of these was not due to sit until mid-January. | He chairs several cabinet committees, but May’s spokesman said the next of these was not due to sit until mid-January. |
| Green’s departure is a personal blow for May, who brought him into Downing Street after her majority was wiped out in June’s general election to help shore up her authority. | Green’s departure is a personal blow for May, who brought him into Downing Street after her majority was wiped out in June’s general election to help shore up her authority. |
| In a letter to Green, the prime minister said it was “with deep regret and enduring gratitude for the contribution you have made over many years that I asked you to resign from the government and have accepted your resignation”. | In a letter to Green, the prime minister said it was “with deep regret and enduring gratitude for the contribution you have made over many years that I asked you to resign from the government and have accepted your resignation”. |
| In his resignation letter, Green maintained he did not download or view the pornography, but said he should have been clear in his press statements that his lawyers were informed about its presence in 2008, and that he discussed it with the police in 2013. | In his resignation letter, Green maintained he did not download or view the pornography, but said he should have been clear in his press statements that his lawyers were informed about its presence in 2008, and that he discussed it with the police in 2013. |
| Heywood found Green had twice breached the ministerial code, because his misleading comments had fallen short of the “seven principles of public life”, one of which is honesty. | Heywood found Green had twice breached the ministerial code, because his misleading comments had fallen short of the “seven principles of public life”, one of which is honesty. |
| He was unable to reach a definitive conclusion on separate allegations, made by the Conservative activist Kate Maltby, that Green had behaved improperly towards her. | He was unable to reach a definitive conclusion on separate allegations, made by the Conservative activist Kate Maltby, that Green had behaved improperly towards her. |
| The cabinet secretary’s report found that Maltby’s account of a disputed meeting was “plausible”, but “with competing and contradictory accounts of what were private meetings, it is not possible to reach a definitive conclusion”. | The cabinet secretary’s report found that Maltby’s account of a disputed meeting was “plausible”, but “with competing and contradictory accounts of what were private meetings, it is not possible to reach a definitive conclusion”. |
| In his letter, Green said: “I deeply regret the distress caused to Kate Maltby following her article and the reaction to it. I do not recognise the events she described in her article, but I clearly made her feel uncomfortable and I apologise.” | In his letter, Green said: “I deeply regret the distress caused to Kate Maltby following her article and the reaction to it. I do not recognise the events she described in her article, but I clearly made her feel uncomfortable and I apologise.” |
| The prime minister received Heywood’s report on Monday, and she passed it on to Sir Alex Allan, the former senior civil servant who is May’s independent adviser on ministers’ interests. | The prime minister received Heywood’s report on Monday, and she passed it on to Sir Alex Allan, the former senior civil servant who is May’s independent adviser on ministers’ interests. |
| Her spokesman said: “Alex Allan reported back to the prime minister [on Wednesday] to say that he agreed with the conclusions and with the fact that there had been breaches of the ministerial code.” | Her spokesman said: “Alex Allan reported back to the prime minister [on Wednesday] to say that he agreed with the conclusions and with the fact that there had been breaches of the ministerial code.” |
| Hunt told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme it was right that cabinet ministers were held to the “very highest standards of conduct”. | Hunt told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme it was right that cabinet ministers were held to the “very highest standards of conduct”. |
| “Under every government I can remember there are instances where perhaps people get pushed into a situation where they say something they didn’t mean to say and we do hold people to very high standards of conduct,” he said. | “Under every government I can remember there are instances where perhaps people get pushed into a situation where they say something they didn’t mean to say and we do hold people to very high standards of conduct,” he said. |
| “On this occasion, very, very sadly and I know with a very heavy heart, the prime minister took the decision that she had to. I am sure that she didn’t want him to go.” | “On this occasion, very, very sadly and I know with a very heavy heart, the prime minister took the decision that she had to. I am sure that she didn’t want him to go.” |
| Maltby did not comment publicly on Green’s resignation, but her parents, Colin and Victoria, said in a statement they were not surprised that the inquiry had found Green “to have been untruthful as a minister, nor that they found our daughter to be a plausible witness”. | Maltby did not comment publicly on Green’s resignation, but her parents, Colin and Victoria, said in a statement they were not surprised that the inquiry had found Green “to have been untruthful as a minister, nor that they found our daughter to be a plausible witness”. |
| “We have received many supportive messages from people near and far who appreciate Kate’s courage and the importance of speaking out about the abuse of authority,” they said. | “We have received many supportive messages from people near and far who appreciate Kate’s courage and the importance of speaking out about the abuse of authority,” they said. |
| “We join with them in admiring her fortitude and serenity throughout the length of the investigation and despite the attempted campaign in certain sections of the media to denigrate and intimidate her and other witnesses. We are proud of her.” | “We join with them in admiring her fortitude and serenity throughout the length of the investigation and despite the attempted campaign in certain sections of the media to denigrate and intimidate her and other witnesses. We are proud of her.” |
| In her letter to Green, May welcomed the fact that he had apologised to Maltby. | In her letter to Green, May welcomed the fact that he had apologised to Maltby. |
| Labour’s Jess Phillips told Today the inquiry had taken too long and that Maltby’s allegations were still hanging over Green. | Labour’s Jess Phillips told Today the inquiry had taken too long and that Maltby’s allegations were still hanging over Green. |
| “The investigation said that Kate Maltby was credible and plausible and what they found that they couldn’t prove was the sexual harassment charge. | “The investigation said that Kate Maltby was credible and plausible and what they found that they couldn’t prove was the sexual harassment charge. |
| “However, I’m not convinced by that. I’ve seen all of the evidence that’s in the public domain: text messages between Damian Green and Kate Maltby, text messages between Kate Maltby and her friends at the time, saying how uncomfortable she’d felt, whether she felt she had to report it.” | “However, I’m not convinced by that. I’ve seen all of the evidence that’s in the public domain: text messages between Damian Green and Kate Maltby, text messages between Kate Maltby and her friends at the time, saying how uncomfortable she’d felt, whether she felt she had to report it.” |
| The prime minister also used her letter to criticise the conduct of police officers who carried out the raid on Green’s parliamentary office in 2008, when the pornography was discovered, and revealed that discovery to the media in recent weeks. | The prime minister also used her letter to criticise the conduct of police officers who carried out the raid on Green’s parliamentary office in 2008, when the pornography was discovered, and revealed that discovery to the media in recent weeks. |
| Green’s office was raided as police investigated a series of leaks from inside the Home Office. | Green’s office was raided as police investigated a series of leaks from inside the Home Office. |
| May said: “I shared the concerns raised from across the political spectrum when your parliamentary office was raided in 2008 when you were a shadow minister holding the Labour government to account.” | May said: “I shared the concerns raised from across the political spectrum when your parliamentary office was raided in 2008 when you were a shadow minister holding the Labour government to account.” |