David Davis 'threatens to resign' if Damian Green is sacked over pornography claims
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Loading... - Maya Conte
- 01 Dec 2020
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David Davis has hinted to Theresa May that he could resign if Damian Green is sacked over pornography that was found on a computer in his Parliamentary office in 2008.
A number of reports have claimed that the Brexit Secretary is willing to take a stand should Mrs May decide that Mr Green must quit his position as the de facto deputy prime minister.
It comes after a former Scotland Yard detective who seized a computer from Mr Green’s office in a police raid nine years ago said he had “absolutely no doubt whatsoever” that the Tory MP had accessed pornographic images on it.
Neil Lewis, the man who examined Mr Green’s parliamentary computer, said it would be “ridiculous to suggest that anybody else could have done it”.
Scotland Yard subsequently confirmed that it was investigating the alleged unauthorised release of confidential material in relation to the disclosures made by Mr Lewis relating to the raid.
Mr Green has denied downloading or watching porn on the work computer.
He has also denied allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards a young female activist which are currently the subject of a Cabinet Office probe.
The Evening Standard quoted a "mutual friend of Mr Davis and Mr Green" as saying the Brexit Secretary had made clear to Mrs May "in words of one syllable" that he would find it difficult to stay in his role if the First Secretary was forced out.
Meanwhile, The Sun also claimed that Mr Davis had issued a similar warning to Mrs May.
Friends of Mr Davis said he was "angry" at the way the police had behaved and had "raised his unhappiness" with Mrs May.
One friend of the Brexit Secretary said: "He led the shadow team of which Damian Green was a part at the time he was arrested, and there is a lot of history between him and the Met on this subject.
"You have an ex-detective who is keeping hold of notebooks and not properly deleting things that he was told to delete. David is angry."
Mr Lewis’s decision to talk publicly about what was found on the computer taken from Mr Green’s office has prompted anger among allies of the First Secretary of State.
A source close to Mr Davis said: "It's right that allegations of misconduct towards individuals are properly investigated, but police officers have a duty of confidentiality which should be upheld."
Mr Lewis told the BBC in an interview broadcast on Friday morning that he had found “thousands” of pornographic images on the computer.
Asked if there was any doubt in his mind that it was Mr Green who had accessed pornography on the computer, he replied: “Absolutely no doubt whatsoever.”
A spokesman for the First Secretary of State said: "It would be inappropriate for Mr Green to comment on these allegations while the Cabinet Office investigation is ongoing; however, from the outset he has been very clear that he never watched or downloaded pornography on the computers seized from his office.
"He maintains his innocence of these charges and awaits the outcome of the investigation."
Andrew Mitchell, the Tory former international development secretary and a friend of Mr Green, claimed that information from the raid had been “leaked nine years later to blacken the name of a serving Cabinet minister and I think that is wrong”.
He added: “I think it is highly questionable whether a retired police officer should misuse this sort of material in this way and I think the police need to explain why there was any record kept of entirely legal activity.”
Mr Lewis is now being investigated by the Metropolitan Police over the alleged release of confidential information.
Scotland Yard said in a statement: "Confidential information gathered during a police inquiry should not be made public.
"The appropriate course of action is to co-operate privately with the Cabinet Office inquiry as the MPS (Metropolitan Police Service) has done.
"As is routine for cases of this nature the circumstances of information being made public will be looked at by the Directorate of Professional Standards."
