Pornography claim piles pressure on PM’s aide Green to step aside
DAMIAN Green faces mounting pressure from within the Tory party to step aside amid allegations that “extreme” pornography was discovered on his computer.
Mr Green, Theresa May’s trusted lieutenant and the First Secretary of State, was already under investigation over claims from party activist Kate Maltby that he had sexually harassed her.
The minister strongly denied all the accusations but Tory MPs Anna Soubry and Heidi Allen yesterday said that he needed to step aside while investigations into his conduct take place.
The inquiry into the behaviour of ministers and MPs is being coordinated by the Cabinet Office, which is run by Mr Green.
Untrustworthy
Concerns about Mr Green deepened amid reports that former Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Bob Quick alleged that pornography was discovered on his computer by officers conducting an inquiry into Whitehall leaks in 2008.
The material was found to be lawful but one of the investigating officers who viewed some of the images described some of the material as “extreme”.
Mr Quick was forced to quit his job before he was able to report the find and the leaks inquiry was completed.
In a draft statement to the Leveson inquiry – which took place during 2011 and 2012 – the former policeman stated that material of “an extreme pornographic nature” was found on the parliamentary computer files seized from Mr Green’s office.
Mr Green is already the subject of a Cabinet Office inquiry after a woman alleged that he made inappropriate advances to her, claims he has denied. That investigation will be widened to take in the alleged pornography discovery.
Mrs Allen told ITV’s Peston on Sunday: “In the sort of companies I used to work in, that would be completely normal. If you’re innocent and you have nothing to worry about then let the process take its natural course and the right will come out.”
However, Mr Green was defended by Home Secretary Amber Rudd. She said: “I know that the Cabinet Office is going to be looking at this tomorrow along with the wider inquiry about Damian, and I do think that we shouldn’t rush to allege anything until that inquiry has taken place.”
Asked if the Government would collapse if Mr Green was forced to resign, she said: “Absolutely not.”
Mr Green has vehemently denied the accusations against him and has threatened to sue complainants.
In a statement Mr Green said: “This story is completely untrue and comes from a tainted and untrustworthy source.”