May sacks Green amid allegations
DAMIAN Green has been sacked from the Government by Theresa May and admitted he made “misleading” statements about allegations pornography was 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.
Mr Green has 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.
Mr Green said he “regrets” having been asked to resign and apologised for breaches of the ministerial code.
In a letter to the PM, he went on: “From the outset I have been clear that I did not download or view pornography on my parliamentary computers.
“I accept that I should have been clear in my press statements that police lawyers talked to my lawyers in 2008 about the pornography on the computers, and that the police raised it with me in a subsequent phone call in 2013.
“I apologise that my statements were misleading on this point.
“The unfounded and deeply hurtful allegations that were being levelled at me were distressing both to me and my family and it is right that these are being investigated by the Metropolitan Police’s professional standards department.”
Mrs May said she had “carefully considered” the findings of an investigation by Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood into statements Mr Green made on November 4 and 11, which he has now accepted were “inaccurate and misleading”.
The PM went on: “This falls short of the Seven Principles of Public Life and is a breach of the ministerial code – a conclusion which has been endorsed by Sir Alex Allan, the independent adviser on ministers’ interests.
“While I can understand the considerable distress caused to you by some of the allegations which have been made in recent weeks, I know that you share my commitment to maintaining the high standards which the public demands of ministers of the Crown.
“It is therefore 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.”
The report by Sir Jeremy found Mr Green’s statements on November 4 and 11, which suggested he was not aware porn was found on parliamentary computers in his office, “were inaccurate and misleading” as the Met had previously informed him of its existence.
The Cabinet Secretary found the statements breached ministerial code and shared the findings with Sir Alex, who wrote to the PM confirming the report is a “clear and comprehensive account” and that Mr Green had breached the code.