Britannia Radio

At least Harriet Harman seems to have grasped the point that she is 
in the midst of a scandal - a fact that seems to have escaped the 
notice of the Home Secretary.

Conservative Home suggests that Tory backbenchers are doing what I 
suggested - using the Queen's Speech occasion to go for the Speaker.

Christina
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BBC ONLINE   30.11.08
PM urged to condemn MP's arrest
(shortened to remove duplication)
David Cameron is unhappy with the prime minister's stance on the 
arrest   Writing in the News of the World, the Tory leader said 
Gordon Brown's stance so far was "not good enough".

'Watershed moment'
In his opinion piece, Mr Cameron said the prime minister made his 
name through Whitehall leaks and unless Mr Brown spoke out, he would 
be guilty of "hypocrisy".

"The question is: does he think it is right for an MP who has 
apparently done nothing to breach our national security - and 
everything to inform the public of information they're entitled to 
know - to have his home and office searched by a dozen counter-
terrorist police officers, his phone, blackberry and computers 
confiscated, and to be arrested and held for nine hours?" he said.

Mr Cameron described the arrest of the shadow immigration minister as 
a "watershed moment" and claimed "the right of one and all to hold 
the government to account is at stake".

He wrote: "On the rights of MPs to hold government to account, of 
course no one is above the law but in a democracy there is an 
important line to be drawn when it comes to acting in the public 
interest."

'Incompetent'
John O'Connor, former head of the London police unit, the flying 
squad, told BBC Radio 5Live he found it difficult to believe the 
government didn't know about the investigation.

He said: "If the prime minister and the home secretary were unaware 
of this police activity - then they must be utterly incompetent.

"And if they were aware of it then that makes them really quite 
dangerous. So I think whatever way, whatever path they choose it 
doesn't put them in a good light."
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POLITICS HOME   30.11.08
The Damian Green Scandal - Comments
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Sunday Live, Sky News at 11:30
Grieve: Smith "knew MP was involved"

Dominic Grieve, Shadow Home Secretary

Mr Grieve claimed Home Secretary Jacqui Smith may not have been 
telling the truth when she said the first she knew about Damian 
Green's arrest was after it had happened.

He also said he believed the police may have "misled" the Serjeant at 
Arms by suggesting the Director of Public Prosecutions had agreed the 
arrest and search of the MP's offices.

"I think she knew there was an MP involved in this investigation and 
she decided to simply sit back on her hands," he said. If the 
investigation turned out not to be substantial: "she has a great deal 
to answer to parliament," he added.

He said there were "contradictory explanations" from the Serjeant at 
Arms and the police over the DPP's involvement, suggesting it was 
possible the police misled the Serjeant. The whole affair was marked 
by: "chaos and a lack of any common sense thinking," he added.

Mr Grieve said the Tories were not going to let the matter lie and 
would continue to press for answers now.

"The police must have operational independence but that does not mean 
they have a completely free reign to do whatever they like," he said.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Sunday Live, Sky News at 11:19
Harman: There will an inquiry into arrest after police investigation

Harriet Harman, Leader of the Commons

Ms Harman said that the arrest of Damian Green "raised serious 
constitutional questions that need to be addressed" and assured that 
there will be an inquiry into the matter after the police have 
finished their investigation.

She said: "The process by which the police come into the house of 
commons, take the computers will have to be looked at.  What I'm 
going to to do is reassure people that I understand the 
constitutional issues here.

"MPs should be able to get on with their job without the interference 
of the law."

She also said that the Speaker should "review the processes by which 
authorisation is given to search the Palace of Westminster."

She added: "I am determined that we should protect those 
constitutional principles.  Our democracy is important not just for 
electing the government, but for electing the opposition and the role 
of the opposition is to hold the government to account."

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Sunday Live, Sky News at 10:53
Lord Paul: Green arrest "should not have happened"


Lord Paul, Labour Peer


Lord Paul said that the arrest of Tory frontbencher Damian Green "was 
very sad."

He added: "It should not have happened.  I think we need to wait for 
the full outcome to comment.  I have absolutely no doubt that the 
Prime Minister would not have liked it."


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The Andrew Marr Show, BBC One at 09:51
Smith: Ministers knew nothing about arrest

Jacqui Smith, Home Secretary

Ms Smith said no minister had been aware of plans to arrest Tory 
spokesman Damian Green and insisted police had to be allowed to get 
on with sensitive and serious security investigations without 
interference.  [It was NOT a security investigation - cs]

She also said she had not signed any warrant allowing the bugging of 
Mr Green, declaring: "we are totally into conspiracy theory territory 
here", but confirmed she had been aware an inquiry was, rightly, 
underway.

The Home Secretary refused to offer a direct apology to Mr Green, 
saying: "Any police investigation that involves investigation of any 
senior political figure or representative is highly sensitive and 
must be handled carefully.

"This is not an investigation into whether or not opposition 
politicians use information they receive to embarrass or hold to 
account the government. That entirely legitimate activity will go on 
and should go on," she said.

This investigation was into a "systematic series of 
leaks.....systematic breaches of security"  from a department 
responsible for some of the most serious issues of security. 
[specifically a department responsible for breaching security 
rules .  THAT's what this is all about! -cs]

She said her department's Permanent Secretary and Cabinet Secretary 
had rightly authorised  the original investigation and she was aware 
a leak inquiry was underway and that action was likely against one of 
her officials. She was told about Mr Green's arrest "after it had 
happened".

"There have been a lot of charges thrown about here of Stalinism and 
a police state. Stalinism and a police state are when ministers 
direct and interfere with specific investigations the police are 
carrying out. My view is the police should have operational 
independence.

"It is right when an investigation is underway and police are 
gathering evidence that politicians should not interfere in that 
investigation."

Asked about claims Mr Green had been bugged she said she would have 
had to sign a warrant for that to happen [maybe!  But WAS he bugged ? 
-cs] and she had not, adding: "We are getting totally into conspiracy 
theory territory here."

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The Andrew Marr Show, BBC One at 09:35
Ken Clarke calls for an apology and inquiry into Green arrest

Ken Clarke, Former Chancellor

Mr. Clarke said that, had he been Home Secretary, he would have 
reacted "with fury" at the news of Damian Green's arrest.

"I would have said this is outrageous and this is an abuse of police 
powers.  This is Richard Nixon's America."

"I would have wanted an official apology, inquiry, and I would have 
sent an apology to Damian Green and his family."

He added: "The police should have told them to go away.  The Serjeant 
at Arms should have told them about Parliamentary Privilege.  This 
was political rubbish with no security content at all."