Theresa May calls for leaking cops to be 'properly investigated'
The Prime Minister says she has concerns about comments made by a former Met Police officer and wants them looked into.
Thursday 21 December 2017 18:33, UK
Theresa May has reiterated her concerns about comments made by police officers in relation to pornography found on Damian Green's computer.
Speaking after a bilateral meeting with the Polish Prime Minister in Warsaw, Mrs May said she expects statements made by Metropolitan Police officers over the saga to be "properly investigated".
The Prime Minister told reporters: "I share the concerns that have been expressed about the comments that were made by a former officer of the Metropolitan Police and I expect that issue to be properly investigated, properly considered and I expect those concerns to be taken seriously."
Her comments came as Scotland Yard announced it had referred former assistant commissioner Bob Quick and a second retired officer, Neil Lewis, to privacy watchdog the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) over possible breaches of data protection laws.
Mr Green was asked to step down from his job as First Secretary of State, a role which effectively made him the PM's deputy, on Wednesday after a Cabinet Office investigation found he breached the ministerial code.
An investigation found that while his "conduct as a minister has generally been both professional and proper", he had given "misleading" statements in relation to what he knew about the pornography claims, which prompted Mrs May to ask him to resign.
Mr Green continues to deny downloading or viewing the legal material, and the report reached "no conclusion" on this aspect of the saga.
The MP for Ashford in Kent refused to answer reporters' questions as he left his London house in Acton on Thursday, saying: "I'm not going to say anything."
But later he 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."
Mrs May's spokesman said on Thursday that she would not be appointing a replacement immediately.
Jeremy Hunt said it was clear the PM acted with a "very heavy heart" when she ordered Mr Green to tender his resignation after summoning him to No 10 on Wednesday evening.
But the Health Secretary also said there were questions to answer about the conduct of the retired police officer who leaked details of the raid on Mr Green's Commons office in 2008 when pornographic images were found on his computer.
"If you look at what happened, some of the actions of a retired police office don't sit comfortably in a democracy," Mr Hunt told BBC Radio 4's Today.
"Theresa May made very clear in her letter that she was very uncomfortable with what had happened and she was pleased that Cressida Dick, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, also felt that.
"I think there are various other things we do need to get to the bottom of."
His words were echoed by Conservative former international development secretary Andrew Mitchell, who was part of an investigation into police misconduct over the "plebgate" row.
Mr Mitchell told Sky News: "These two admitted breaches of the ministerial code are dwarfed by the extraordinary behaviour of the police, which fortunately is now under investigation by the proper authorities."
But Labour MP Jess Phillips said she was worried that the focus on the behaviour of the police was an attempt to steer attention away from other issues raised by the affair.
A Labour Party Spokesperson added: ""The public deserve the highest standards from ministers which begs questions around the Prime Minister's judgement and why she delayed this decision for so long.
"To lose her number two in government in such a way, and so soon after two other ministers, leaves her further weakened."
The inquiry was launched after Kate Maltby, a Conservative activist and journalist 30 years Mr Green's junior, complained he had made inappropriate advances.
Then the former Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Bob Quick went public with his claims about the discovery of pornography.
While saying he did not "recognise the events" Ms Maltby described in a newspaper article about the alleged advances, Mrs May admitted he may have made her "feel uncomfortable" and apologised.