Theresa May had no choice but to sack her lifelong friend and de facto deputy Damian Green after he admitted making “misleading” statements over claims police found pornography on his Commons computer, Jeremy Hunt has said.
The Health Secretary said it was clear the Prime Minister acted with a “very heavy heart” when she ordered Mr Green to tender his resignation after summoning him to No 10 on Wednesday evening.
However, Mr Hunt 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.
Mr Green left his post as First Secretary of State continuing to deny “unfounded and deeply hurtful” claims that he downloaded or viewed the material.
But an investigation by the Cabinet Office found two statements Mr Green made on November 4 and 11, which suggested he was not aware indecent material had been discovered, were “inaccurate and misleading” and breached the ministerial code.
His sacking follows the November resignations of Sir Michael Fallon as defence secretary, amid Westminster sleaze allegations, and international development secretary Priti Patel over undisclosed meetings in Israel.
(PA Graphics)
Mr Hunt said it was clear Mr Green had “lied” and it was right that Cabinet ministers were held to the “very highest standards of conduct”.
Everyone understands the pressures politicians are under,” he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.
“Under every government I can remember there are instances where perhaps people get pushed into a situation where they say something they didn’t mean to say and we do hold people to very high standards of conduct.
“On this occasion, very, very sadly and I know with a very heavy heart, the Prime Minister took the decision that she had to. I am sure that she didn’t want him to go.”
The inquiry was initially launched after Kate Maltby, a Conservative activist and journalist 30 years his junior, complained that Mr Green had made inappropriate advances.
Former Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Bob Quick, who led the 2008 investigation into Home Office leaks, then went public with his claims about the discovery of porn on the computer.
Mr Green initially denounced the allegations as “completely untrue” and attacked “disreputable political smears from a discredited police officer”, but in his resignation letter he admitted police had twice discussed the porn with him and his lawyers.
Former Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Bob Quick, who led the 2008 investigation (PA)
Conservative MPs remain angry at the way confidential information gathered in the course of a police investigation was leaked to damage Mr Green. Mr Hunt said Mrs May shared their concerns.
“If you look at what happened, some of the actions of a retired police office don’t sit comfortably in a democracy,” he said.
“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.”