Damian Green
Encyclopedia
Damian Howard Green is a British
politician
who has been the Conservative
Member of Parliament
for Ashford
since 1997. He came to national prominence after being elected in his constituency. Before standing for parliament, Damian Green was Channel 4
's business editor. On 13 May 2010 he was appointed Immigration Minister in the newly formed Conservative
-Liberal Democrat coalition government
under David Cameron
.
, Wales
. He grew up in Reading, Berkshire
and was educated at Reading School
and then at Balliol College, Oxford
where he was awarded a BA
degree in PPE
in 1977 followed by a master's degree
. He was President of the Oxford Union
in 1977 and was the vice chairman of the Federation of Conservative Students
(now known as Conservative Future
) for two years from 1980.
as a financial journalist
, before joining Channel 4 News
as a business producer
in 1982. He joined The Times
for a year in 1984 as the business news editor
, before returning to television journalism and Channel 4 as the business editor in 1985. He became the City
editor and also a television presenter on Channel 4's Business Daily television programme in 1987 until he left television to join Prime Minister
John Major
's Policy Unit in 1992. Green had acted as an occasional speech writer for Major since 1988. He left 10 Downing Street
in 1994 to run his own public affairs
consultancy
.
Ken Livingstone
in Brent East at the 1992 General Election
, but lost by 5,971 votes. He was elected to the House of Commons
for the Kent
seat of Ashford
at the 1997 General Election
following the retirement of the Tory MP Keith Speed
. Green held the seat with a majority of 5,345 and has remained the constituency's MP. He made his maiden speech
on 20 May 1997.
In Parliament
he was a member of the Culture, Media and Sport
select committee from 1997 until his appointment to the frontbench
by William Hague
in 1998 as a spokesman on education and employment. He spoke on the environment
from 1999, and was promoted to the Shadow Cabinet
by Iain Duncan Smith
in 2001 as the Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Skills
. In 2003, Michael Howard
gave him the position of Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
. In September 2004, he left the front bench altogether of his own accord and joined the home affairs
select committee, and has been a member of the treasury
committee since the 2005 General Election
. He returned to the frontbench under the leadership of David Cameron
in 2005 as a spokesman on home affairs and shadow minister for immigration
.
Green is Chairman of Parliamentary Mainstream, a Vice-President of the Tory Reform Group
and is a Vice-Chairman of the John Smith Memorial Trust.
at his constituency home on 27 November 2008 on suspicion of “aiding and abetting misconduct in public office” and
“conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office”, in relation to an investigation into unauthorised disclosure of confidential material from within the Home Office
. The material disclosed was claimed by the Daily Mail to have 'severely embarrassed' the Government by highlighting failures over immigration and other matters. The police investigation was initiated by the Permanent Secretary
at the Home Office, David Normington
. It was reported that the arrest took place without the knowledge of the Home Secretary
, Jacqui Smith
. Green was held for nine hours on suspicion of conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office. Green's constituency and House of Commons
offices were searched in addition to his London and Ashford homes, with police removing official documents and bank statements, computer hard drive and mobile telephone, and searching personal items such as love letters
written to his wife some twenty years earlier. Green was later released on bail. In a statement to Parliament on 3 December, Michael Martin
Speaker of the House of Commons, responsible for the security of the Palace of Westminster, stated that, although the police undertaking the search had neither presented a search warrant
nor given (what Martin said was) the requisite advice that such a warrant was necessary, the search of the Parliamentary office had been undertaken with express written consent from the Serjeant at Arms, who had signed a consent form without consulting the Clerk of the House. The arrest of a senior opposition politician (and former journalist) on matters connected with that politician's obtaining of confidential information for release to journalists generated much comment, largely from politicians and journalists. The Conservative Party leader David Cameron
was said to be 'angry' over the action of the police. The Conservative Party issued a statement, stating that, while no one should be above the law, Green had "a right" to publish information in the public interest.
The constitutional expert Professor Vernon Bogdanor
of Oxford University told the BBC that the row was a "storm in a teacup", adding that the “important principle is that MPs - apart from when they're speaking in the chamber and dealing with constituents' correspondence - are as subject to the same laws as the rest of us”. Geoffrey Robertson
QC, a noted human rights author and barrister called the arrest “an affront to democracy” and called on the Speaker of the House to resign if it should prove that he had authorised the police search of Green's office. Robertson also pointed out that much of the debate over the police action had missed the point, observing that police have operational independence, and it would have been wrong for them to have told their plans to the Prime Minister or the Home Secretary. A junior Home Office civil servant, Christopher Galley admitted leaking four documents to Green. In the 2004 local elections, Galley stood as a Conservative Party candidate for the Hetton
ward of Sunderland City Council and received 676 votes. In mid-2007, Galley had applied to work for Green but was rejected.
The events led to speculation about the apparent coincidence that such a high profile arrest should be authorised on the last day in office of former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair. It was however also reported that there is no legal requirement for any arrest to be authorised by the Commissioner, and that the decision would usually be made by the officer leading the investigation. The investigation and arrest of Green were conducted by the Metropolitan Police Counter-Terrorism Branch headed by Assistant Commissioner
Bob Quick
, who had been appointed in August 2008 as the most senior anti-terrorism officer.
The arrest was criticised by political figures including Conservative Leader David Cameron
, Liberal Democrat
leader Nick Clegg
and veteran left-wing Labour
politician Tony Benn
. The Prime Minister
Gordon Brown
made no comment over the arrest other than to say it was a police matter. The Director of the UK human rights
organisation Liberty
, Shami Chakrabarti
, wrote in The Sunday Times an article highly critical of the arrest and search of Green's offices. The Leader of the House of Commons, Harriet Harman
, has also expressed her concern, and Justice Secretary Jack Straw
was said to be 'surprised' by the arrest of which he knew nothing.
Green is reported to have said he was the subject of a bugging operation which would have required the authorisation of the Home Secretary
, Jacqui Smith
. Smith stated that she was not in a position to confirm or deny such claims, but strongly implied that she had not granted any such order. Green subsequently has requested a sweep of his home and parliamentary offices for bugs.
On 21 December 2008, a row erupted when Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick accused the Conservative Party of trying to undermine his investigation and of endangering the safety of his family by publishing details of his home in the Mail on Sunday:
“The Tory machinery and their press friends are mobilised against this investigation. I think it is a very spiteful act, possibly to intimidate me away from investigating Mr Green, and I feel it has put my family at risk.” The Conservative Party stated that it had "played no part whatsoever in the publication of this story", and that “as the officer leading the inquiry into the allegations involving Damian Green, Assistant Commissioner Quick should display objective professionalism and not make baseless, political attacks. He should retract all of his allegations immediately.”
The following day Quick did retract his statements and apologised: “I have now reflected on the comments I made yesterday at a difficult time for me and my family ... I wish to make clear that it was not my intention to make any allegations and retract my comments. I apologise unreservedly for any offence or embarrassment that I have caused.” On 9 April 2009, Quick resigned his position after inadvertently revealing details of a counter-terrorist raid that was unrelated to the Green affair.
On 16 April 2009, the Crown Prosecution Service
announced that it was not going to bring a case against either Green or Galley, the Home Office civil servant who passed data to Mr Green, as there was "insufficient evidence" for either to face charges. This followed the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee
criticizing Home Office civil servants for prompting the investigation by using "exaggerated" claims about the implications for national security that the leaks held.
On 18 April 2009, Damian Green claimed that arresting officers had searched his computer documents and emails for key words "Shami Chakrabarti
", fuelling claims that his arrest had been politically motivated. Following a disciplinary hearing, Galley was sacked from the civil service on 24 April 2009 for “gross professional misconduct”.
Galley claimed that Green told him: “If you are fired, we will look after you”, but that his attempts to find work have been rebuffed; Conservative MPs, Galley averred, “don't want to touch me now that I have done their dirty work”.
. They have two daughters, both born in Hammersmith
, London
. He is a season ticket holder at Reading FC.
News articles
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who has been the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Ashford
Ashford (UK Parliament constituency)
Ashford is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post voting system.-Boundaries:...
since 1997. He came to national prominence after being elected in his constituency. Before standing for parliament, Damian Green was Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's business editor. On 13 May 2010 he was appointed Immigration Minister in the newly formed Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
-Liberal Democrat coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
under David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
.
Early life
Damian Green was born in BarryBarry, Wales
Barry is a town and community in the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales. Located along the northern coast of the Bristol Channel less than south-southwest of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, Barry is a seaside resort, with attractions including several beaches and the Barry Island Pleasure Park...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. He grew up in Reading, Berkshire
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
and was educated at Reading School
Reading School
Reading School is a state-funded, selective academy school for boys in the English town of Reading. It is notable for tracing its history back to the school of Reading Abbey, making it one of the oldest schools in England. There are no tuition fees for day pupils, and boarders only pay for food and...
and then at Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
where he was awarded a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in PPE
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
Philosophy, politics, and economics is a popular interdisciplinary undergraduate/graduate degree which combines study from the three disciplines...
in 1977 followed by a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
. He was President of the Oxford Union
Oxford Union
The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford, Britain, whose membership is drawn primarily but not exclusively from the University of Oxford...
in 1977 and was the vice chairman of the Federation of Conservative Students
Federation of Conservative Students
The Federation of Conservative Students was the student organisation of the British Conservative Party from the late 1940s to 1986. It was created to act as a bridge between the student movement and the Conservative Party....
(now known as Conservative Future
Conservative Future
Conservative Future, abbreviated to CF, is the youth movement of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom for members aged up to 30 years old.Founded in 1998, Conservative Future is the largest political organisation on British campuses...
) for two years from 1980.
Career
In 1978 he was appointed by BBC RadioBBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
as a financial journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, before joining Channel 4 News
Channel 4 News
Channel 4 News is the news division of British television broadcaster Channel 4. It is produced by ITN, and has been in operation since the broadcaster's launch in 1982.-Channel 4 News:...
as a business producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
in 1982. He joined The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
for a year in 1984 as the business news editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
, before returning to television journalism and Channel 4 as the business editor in 1985. He became the City
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
editor and also a television presenter on Channel 4's Business Daily television programme in 1987 until he left television to join Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
John Major
John Major
Sir John Major, is a British Conservative politician, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990–1997...
's Policy Unit in 1992. Green had acted as an occasional speech writer for Major since 1988. He left 10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street, colloquially known in the United Kingdom as "Number 10", is the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury, who is now always the Prime Minister....
in 1994 to run his own public affairs
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
consultancy
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
.
Political career
He stood against Labour'sLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
in Brent East at the 1992 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
, but lost by 5,971 votes. He was elected to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
for the Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
seat of Ashford
Ashford, Kent
Ashford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
at the 1997 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
following the retirement of the Tory MP Keith Speed
Keith Speed
Sir Herbert "Keith" Speed, RD, DL is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom and former Member of Parliament. He is a descendant of cartographer and historian John Speed....
. Green held the seat with a majority of 5,345 and has remained the constituency's MP. He made his maiden speech
Maiden speech
A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament.Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country...
on 20 May 1997.
In Parliament
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
he was a member of the Culture, Media and Sport
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is a department of the United Kingdom government, with responsibility for culture and sport in England, and some aspects of the media throughout the whole UK, such as broadcasting and internet....
select committee from 1997 until his appointment to the frontbench
Frontbencher
In many parliaments and other similar assemblies, seating is typically arranged in banks or rows, with each political party or caucus grouped together. The spokespeople for each group will often sit at the front of their group, and are then known as being on the frontbench and are described as...
by William Hague
William Hague
William Jefferson Hague is the British Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State. He served as Leader of the Conservative Party from June 1997 to September 2001...
in 1998 as a spokesman on education and employment. He spoke on the environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
from 1999, and was promoted to the Shadow Cabinet
Shadow Cabinet
The Shadow Cabinet is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition form an alternative cabinet to the government's, whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the government...
by Iain Duncan Smith
Iain Duncan Smith
George Iain Duncan Smith is a British Conservative politician. He is currently the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and was previously leader of the Conservative Party from September 2001 to October 2003...
in 2001 as the Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Skills
Secretary of State for Education and Skills
The Secretary of State for Education is the chief minister of the Department for Education in the United Kingdom government. The position was re-established on 12 May 2010, held by Michael Gove....
. In 2003, Michael Howard
Michael Howard
Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne, CH, QC, PC is a British politician, who served as the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005...
gave him the position of Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
Secretary of State for Transport
The Secretary of State for Transport is the member of the cabinet responsible for the British Department for Transport. The role has had a high turnover as new appointments are blamed for the failures of decades of their predecessors...
. In September 2004, he left the front bench altogether of his own accord and joined the home affairs
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
select committee, and has been a member of the treasury
HM Treasury
HM Treasury, in full Her Majesty's Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing the British government's public finance policy and economic policy...
committee since the 2005 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
. He returned to the frontbench under the leadership of David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
in 2005 as a spokesman on home affairs and shadow minister for immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
.
Green is Chairman of Parliamentary Mainstream, a Vice-President of the Tory Reform Group
Tory Reform Group
The Tory Reform Group is a group aligned to, but independent of, the British Conservative Party, that works to promote the values of the One Nation Tory vision...
and is a Vice-Chairman of the John Smith Memorial Trust.
2008 arrest
Green was arrested by the Metropolitan PoliceMetropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police...
at his constituency home on 27 November 2008 on suspicion of “aiding and abetting misconduct in public office” and
“conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office”, in relation to an investigation into unauthorised disclosure of confidential material from within the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
. The material disclosed was claimed by the Daily Mail to have 'severely embarrassed' the Government by highlighting failures over immigration and other matters. The police investigation was initiated by the Permanent Secretary
Permanent Secretary
The Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
at the Home Office, David Normington
David Normington
Sir David John Normington is the First Civil Service Commissioner and Commissioner for Public Appointments for the British government. He previously served in the British Civil Service as the Permanent Secretary of Department for Education and Skills from 2001 to 2005, and then the Home Office...
. It was reported that the arrest took place without the knowledge of the Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
, Jacqui Smith
Jacqui Smith
Jacqueline Jill "Jacqui" Smith is a member of the British Labour Party. She served as the Member of Parliament for Redditch from 1997 until 2010 and was the first ever female Home Secretary, thus making her the third woman to hold one of the Great Offices of State — after Margaret Thatcher and...
. Green was held for nine hours on suspicion of conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office. Green's constituency and House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
offices were searched in addition to his London and Ashford homes, with police removing official documents and bank statements, computer hard drive and mobile telephone, and searching personal items such as love letters
Love letter
A love letter is a romantic way to express feelings of love in written form. Delivered by hand, by mail or romantically left in a secret location, the letter may be anything from a short and simple message of love to a lengthy explanation of feelings...
written to his wife some twenty years earlier. Green was later released on bail. In a statement to Parliament on 3 December, Michael Martin
Michael Martin (politician)
Michael John Martin, Baron Martin of Springburn, PC is a British politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Glasgow Springburn from 1979 to 2005, and then for Glasgow North East until 2009...
Speaker of the House of Commons, responsible for the security of the Palace of Westminster, stated that, although the police undertaking the search had neither presented a search warrant
Search warrant
A search warrant is a court order issued by a Magistrate, judge or Supreme Court Official that authorizes law enforcement officers to conduct a search of a person or location for evidence of a crime and to confiscate evidence if it is found....
nor given (what Martin said was) the requisite advice that such a warrant was necessary, the search of the Parliamentary office had been undertaken with express written consent from the Serjeant at Arms, who had signed a consent form without consulting the Clerk of the House. The arrest of a senior opposition politician (and former journalist) on matters connected with that politician's obtaining of confidential information for release to journalists generated much comment, largely from politicians and journalists. The Conservative Party leader David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
was said to be 'angry' over the action of the police. The Conservative Party issued a statement, stating that, while no one should be above the law, Green had "a right" to publish information in the public interest.
The constitutional expert Professor Vernon Bogdanor
Vernon Bogdanor
Vernon Bogdanor, CBE, FBA is Research Professor at the Institute for Contemporary History at King's College London, and a Fellow of Brasenose College, University of Oxford. He is one of Britain's foremost constitutional experts and has written extensively on political and constitutional issues...
of Oxford University told the BBC that the row was a "storm in a teacup", adding that the “important principle is that MPs - apart from when they're speaking in the chamber and dealing with constituents' correspondence - are as subject to the same laws as the rest of us”. Geoffrey Robertson
Geoffrey Robertson
Geoffrey Ronald Robertson QC is an Australian-born human rights lawyer, academic, author and broadcaster. He holds dual Australian and British citizenship....
QC, a noted human rights author and barrister called the arrest “an affront to democracy” and called on the Speaker of the House to resign if it should prove that he had authorised the police search of Green's office. Robertson also pointed out that much of the debate over the police action had missed the point, observing that police have operational independence, and it would have been wrong for them to have told their plans to the Prime Minister or the Home Secretary. A junior Home Office civil servant, Christopher Galley admitted leaking four documents to Green. In the 2004 local elections, Galley stood as a Conservative Party candidate for the Hetton
Hetton-le-Hole
Hetton-le-Hole is a town and civil parish situated in the City of Sunderland in Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the A182 between Houghton-le-Spring and Easington Lane. It is located on the southwest corner of Sunderland on the A182, off A690 close to the A1. It has a population of 14,402 but this...
ward of Sunderland City Council and received 676 votes. In mid-2007, Galley had applied to work for Green but was rejected.
The events led to speculation about the apparent coincidence that such a high profile arrest should be authorised on the last day in office of former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair. It was however also reported that there is no legal requirement for any arrest to be authorised by the Commissioner, and that the decision would usually be made by the officer leading the investigation. The investigation and arrest of Green were conducted by the Metropolitan Police Counter-Terrorism Branch headed by Assistant Commissioner
Assistant Commissioner
Assistant commissioner is a rank used in many police forces across the globe. It is also a rank used in revenue administrations in many countries.-Australia:...
Bob Quick
Bob Quick (police officer)
Robert Quick, QPM is a former Assistant Commissioner of London's Metropolitan Police Service responsible for counter terrorism within the United Kingdom.-Police career:Quick joined the police service in 1978, first serving in Lambeth....
, who had been appointed in August 2008 as the most senior anti-terrorism officer.
The arrest was criticised by political figures including Conservative Leader David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
, Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
leader Nick Clegg
Nick Clegg
Nicholas William Peter "Nick" Clegg is a British Liberal Democrat politician who is currently the Deputy Prime Minister, Lord President of the Council and Minister for Constitutional and Political Reform in the coalition government of which David Cameron is the Prime Minister...
and veteran left-wing Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician Tony Benn
Tony Benn
Anthony Neil Wedgwood "Tony" Benn, PC is a British Labour Party politician and a former MP and Cabinet Minister.His successful campaign to renounce his hereditary peerage was instrumental in the creation of the Peerage Act 1963...
. The Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
made no comment over the arrest other than to say it was a police matter. The Director of the UK human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
organisation Liberty
Liberty (pressure group)
Liberty is a pressure group based in the United Kingdom. Its formal name is the National Council for Civil Liberties . Founded in 1934 by Ronald Kidd and Sylvia Crowther-Smith , the group campaigns to protect civil liberties and promote human rights...
, Shami Chakrabarti
Shami Chakrabarti
Shami Chakrabarti CBE , has been the director of Liberty, a British pressure group, since September 2003. Chakrabarti is the Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University.-Early life:...
, wrote in The Sunday Times an article highly critical of the arrest and search of Green's offices. The Leader of the House of Commons, Harriet Harman
Harriet Harman
Harriet Ruth Harman QC is a British Labour Party politician, who is the Member of Parliament for Camberwell and Peckham, and was MP for the predecessorPeckham constituency from 1982 to 1997...
, has also expressed her concern, and Justice Secretary Jack Straw
Jack Straw
Jack Straw , British politician.Jack Straw may also refer to:* Jack Straw , English* "Jack Straw" , 1971 song by the Grateful Dead* Jack Straw by W...
was said to be 'surprised' by the arrest of which he knew nothing.
Green is reported to have said he was the subject of a bugging operation which would have required the authorisation of the Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
, Jacqui Smith
Jacqui Smith
Jacqueline Jill "Jacqui" Smith is a member of the British Labour Party. She served as the Member of Parliament for Redditch from 1997 until 2010 and was the first ever female Home Secretary, thus making her the third woman to hold one of the Great Offices of State — after Margaret Thatcher and...
. Smith stated that she was not in a position to confirm or deny such claims, but strongly implied that she had not granted any such order. Green subsequently has requested a sweep of his home and parliamentary offices for bugs.
On 21 December 2008, a row erupted when Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick accused the Conservative Party of trying to undermine his investigation and of endangering the safety of his family by publishing details of his home in the Mail on Sunday:
“The Tory machinery and their press friends are mobilised against this investigation. I think it is a very spiteful act, possibly to intimidate me away from investigating Mr Green, and I feel it has put my family at risk.” The Conservative Party stated that it had "played no part whatsoever in the publication of this story", and that “as the officer leading the inquiry into the allegations involving Damian Green, Assistant Commissioner Quick should display objective professionalism and not make baseless, political attacks. He should retract all of his allegations immediately.”
The following day Quick did retract his statements and apologised: “I have now reflected on the comments I made yesterday at a difficult time for me and my family ... I wish to make clear that it was not my intention to make any allegations and retract my comments. I apologise unreservedly for any offence or embarrassment that I have caused.” On 9 April 2009, Quick resigned his position after inadvertently revealing details of a counter-terrorist raid that was unrelated to the Green affair.
On 16 April 2009, the Crown Prosecution Service
Crown Prosecution Service
The Crown Prosecution Service, or CPS, is a non-ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for public prosecutions of people charged with criminal offences in England and Wales. Its role is similar to that of the longer-established Crown Office in Scotland, and the...
announced that it was not going to bring a case against either Green or Galley, the Home Office civil servant who passed data to Mr Green, as there was "insufficient evidence" for either to face charges. This followed the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee
Home Affairs Select Committee
The Home Affairs Select Committee is a Committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-Remit:The Home Affairs Committee is one of the House of Commons Select Committees related to government departments: its terms of reference are to examine "the expenditure,...
criticizing Home Office civil servants for prompting the investigation by using "exaggerated" claims about the implications for national security that the leaks held.
On 18 April 2009, Damian Green claimed that arresting officers had searched his computer documents and emails for key words "Shami Chakrabarti
Shami Chakrabarti
Shami Chakrabarti CBE , has been the director of Liberty, a British pressure group, since September 2003. Chakrabarti is the Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University.-Early life:...
", fuelling claims that his arrest had been politically motivated. Following a disciplinary hearing, Galley was sacked from the civil service on 24 April 2009 for “gross professional misconduct”.
Galley claimed that Green told him: “If you are fired, we will look after you”, but that his attempts to find work have been rebuffed; Conservative MPs, Galley averred, “don't want to touch me now that I have done their dirty work”.
Personal life
Damian Green married Alicia Collinson, a barrister, in April 1988 in the City of LondonCity of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. They have two daughters, both born in Hammersmith
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He is a season ticket holder at Reading FC.
Publications
- ITN Budget Factbook, by Damian Green, 1984, ITN
- ITN Budget Factbook, by Damian Green, 1985, ITN
- ITN Budget Factbook, by Damian Green, 1986, ITN
- Better BBC: Public Service Broadcasting in the '90s, by Damian Green, 1990, Centre for Policy StudiesCentre for Policy StudiesThe Centre for Policy Studies is a British right wing policy think tank whose goal is to promote coherent and practical public policy, to roll back the state, reform public services, support communities, and challenge threats to Britain’s independence...
ISBN 1-870265-77-7 - Freedom of the Airwaves by Damian Green, 1990, CPC ISBN 0-85070-806-0
- Communities in the Countryside, by Damian Green, 1995. ISBN 1-874097-11-9
- The Cross Media Revolution: Ownership and Control, Edited by Damian Green, 1995, University of Luton Press ISBN 0-86196-545-0
- Regulating the Media in the Digital Age, by Damian Green, 1997, European Media Forum
- 21st Century Conservatism, by Damian Green, 1998
- The Four Failures of the New Deal, by Damian Green, 1998, Centre for Policy Studies ISBN 1-897969-84-8
External links
- Damian Green MP official constituency website
- Ashford Conservatives
- Open Rights Group – Damian Green MP
- Profile: Damian Green, BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
, 30 March 2006 - Tory risk taker who wants to be the teacher's friend – Jackie AshleyJackie AshleyJacqueline Ashley is a British journalist and broadcaster.Ashley is the daughter of Jack Ashley, Baron Ashley of Stoke, the life peer and former Labour MP. Her mother was Pauline Kay Ashley née Crispin...
meets Damian Green, 4 February 2002
News articles
- Lecture to Centre for Policy Studies on the British Database State in July 2009
- Possibly wanting to be party leader in June 2005
- Proposing 80mph motorway speed limit in February 2004
- Encouraging vocational skills at school in October 2003
- Reducing targets used in education in April 2003
- Interviewed on the Politics Show in February 2003
- Discussing supply teacher Amy Gehring in February 2002
- Visiting the German education system in January 2002
- Wanting more faith schools in October 2001
- Reviewing the week's news in March 2000
- Challenging anti-grammar school campaigners in January 1999
- Criticising law to allow ballot on grammar schools in November 1998