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| Damian Green successor may be named as part of wider cabinet reshuffle | Damian Green successor may be named as part of wider cabinet reshuffle |
| (25 days later) | |
| Speculation suggests PM could use appointment of new first secretary of state as chance to move key roles in new year | |
| Peter Walker and | |
| Jessica Elgot | |
| Thu 21 Dec 2017 13.03 GMT | |
| Last modified on Thu 21 Dec 2017 17.42 GMT | |
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| Theresa May has reiterated concerns about the conduct of police over the departure of her first secretary of state, Damian Green, who will not be replaced until the new year after his dismissal for lying about the discovery of pornography on his office computer. | Theresa May has reiterated concerns about the conduct of police over the departure of her first secretary of state, Damian Green, who will not be replaced until the new year after his dismissal for lying about the discovery of pornography on his office computer. |
| The dismissal, which was announced late on Thursday, forced the prime minister to defend her record on tackling sexual harassment, saying she wanted parliament to be a place where everyone could work with “no cause for concern”. | The dismissal, which was announced late on Thursday, forced the prime minister to defend her record on tackling sexual harassment, saying she wanted parliament to be a place where everyone could work with “no cause for concern”. |
| May made her comments at a press conference in Warsaw, where she had been holding talks with her Polish counterpart, Mateusz Morawiecki, primarily on Brexit, defence and EU concerns about his apparent crackdown on judicial independence. | May made her comments at a press conference in Warsaw, where she had been holding talks with her Polish counterpart, Mateusz Morawiecki, primarily on Brexit, defence and EU concerns about his apparent crackdown on judicial independence. |
| A Cabinet Office report on Green looked into allegations made by a Conservative activist, Kate Maltby, that May’s de facto deputy had behaved improperly towards her. It found Maltby’s account plausible but said it was impossible to definitively conclude what had happened. | A Cabinet Office report on Green looked into allegations made by a Conservative activist, Kate Maltby, that May’s de facto deputy had behaved improperly towards her. It found Maltby’s account plausible but said it was impossible to definitively conclude what had happened. |
| Green, 61, lost his job because the cabinet secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood, found statements he had made to a newspaper about not knowing pornography had been found on his office computer in 2008 were “inaccurate and misleading”. | Green, 61, lost his job because the cabinet secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood, found statements he had made to a newspaper about not knowing pornography had been found on his office computer in 2008 were “inaccurate and misleading”. |
| Information about the pornography, found during a Met police raid before Green was in government, came from two former detectives. A number of Conservative MPs have condemned the officers’ intervention. | Information about the pornography, found during a Met police raid before Green was in government, came from two former detectives. A number of Conservative MPs have condemned the officers’ intervention. |
| The Information Commissioner’s Office said on Thursday it had begun an investigation into whether the officers had breached the Data Protection Act in releasing the information. | The Information Commissioner’s Office said on Thursday it had begun an investigation into whether the officers had breached the Data Protection Act in releasing the information. |
| Asked at the press conference whether she shared the worries, May said: “As I said in my letter to Damian yesterday, I share the concerns that have been raised across the political spectrum about comments that were made about a former police officer, and I expect that issue to be properly investigated, to be taken seriously and to be properly looked at.” | Asked at the press conference whether she shared the worries, May said: “As I said in my letter to Damian yesterday, I share the concerns that have been raised across the political spectrum about comments that were made about a former police officer, and I expect that issue to be properly investigated, to be taken seriously and to be properly looked at.” |
| Despite May asking him to resign, Green will receive a payoff of nearly £17,000, the Cabinet Office has confirmed. | Despite May asking him to resign, Green will receive a payoff of nearly £17,000, the Cabinet Office has confirmed. |
| Under a 1991 law, ministers under 65 who lose their jobs and do not get a new post within three weeks receive a severance payment of three months’ salary, irrespective of the circumstances of their departure. | Under a 1991 law, ministers under 65 who lose their jobs and do not get a new post within three weeks receive a severance payment of three months’ salary, irrespective of the circumstances of their departure. |
| Green tweeted: | Green tweeted: |
| I am overwhelmed by the number of friends, colleagues (on all sides) and constituents who have sent supportive messages this morning. My thanks to you all, and a Happy Christmas. See you in 2018. | I am overwhelmed by the number of friends, colleagues (on all sides) and constituents who have sent supportive messages this morning. My thanks to you all, and a Happy Christmas. See you in 2018. |
| Asked when he might be replaced, May’s spokesman said it would not happen before parliament went into recess later on Thursday, pushing the timetable past the festive period. | Asked when he might be replaced, May’s spokesman said it 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 has been speculation May is planning a cabinet reshuffle and that replacing Green could be a chance to act. 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 the international development secretary, Priti Patel – because Green does not have the same departmental responsibilities. | There has been speculation May is planning a cabinet reshuffle and that replacing Green could be a chance to act. 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 the 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. |
| Speaking earlier on Thursday, the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, who is among those tipped as a possible replacement, said Green had lied and it was the right course of action for May to sack him. | Speaking earlier on Thursday, the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, who is among those tipped as a possible replacement, said Green had lied and it was the right course of action for May to sack him. |
| Green’s departure is a personal blow for May, who brought him into Downing Street to help shore up her authority after her majority was wiped out in June’s general election. | Green’s departure is a personal blow for May, who brought him into Downing Street to help shore up her authority after her majority was wiped out in June’s general election. |
| In his resignation letter, Green continued to maintain that 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. | In his resignation letter, Green continued to maintain that 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. |
| In her letter to Green, May 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 her letter to Green, May 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”. |
| Heywood found that Green had breached the ministerial code twice, because his misleading comments had fallen short of the “seven principles of public life”, one of which is honesty. | Heywood found that Green had breached the ministerial code twice, because his misleading comments had fallen short of the “seven principles of public life”, one of which is honesty. |
| 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.” |
| 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”. |
| 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 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. |
| “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 BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the inquiry had taken too long and that Maltby’s allegations were still hanging over Green. | Labour’s Jess Phillips told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme 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.” |
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| Theresa May | |
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