Will be another embarrassment for Gordon's Government and indeed the Civil Service.
Update: What the CPS said
I have considered whether there is evidence of any additional damage caused by the leaks in question. I have concluded that the information leaked was not secret information or information affecting national security:
It did not relate to military, policing or intelligence matters. It did not expose anyone to a risk of injury or death. Nor, in many respects, was it highly confidential. Much of it was known to others outside the civil service, for example, in the security industry or the Labour Party or Parliament. Moreover, some of the information leaked undoubtedly touched on matters of legitimate public interest, which were reported in the press.
If the Civil Service wanted the police to investigate Damian Green over some minor leaks which now appears to have been all hyperbole, makes you wonder why they won't look into the McBride affair a little bit more thoroughly. Even the Sun wants to know!
Perhaps there are still some more e-mails or other embarrassing documents out there just waiting to be found?
The Daily Mail speculates that the Damian Green affair might be Gordon Brown's Watergate. It might well be if it carries on and gains legs as it has this weekend. Despite all "Spliffer" Smith's attempts to portray Green as the Devil incarnate, all we see is the desperate misinformation of a dying goverment and the stench of corruption.
Just in case you don't think this is going to be a problem, just realise that the Big Feartie, our own Macavity the Cat has yet again disappeared from view, preferring to put out his minions to try and save his hide. This is the man who has now written two books about "Courage", this is the man that is supposed to be our "Moses", this is the man who is the great Leader of the World's Economic Recovery, so where is he when he is needed?
Yet again this man is cowering in his Bunker hoping this will just blow over and that he can avoid all or any of the blame for the actions of his government. Even his beloved Sun is turning on him calling this Country a Police State , here and now.
And yet again we hear that the real story may yet be still to be released. The murky goings on of this Government and it's Political minions is starting to unravel. The jobs for the boys and the cash for honours are coming home to roost not a moment to soon. Let us hope that they don't reach into the Police or we are all in trouble.
Conspiring to tell the Truth - that's what Damian Green is currently being charged with by the Police. His crime is to have gone against a Government that brokes no opposition to its Stalinesque methods.
As Fraser Nelson says today in articles in the Spectator and the News of the World, he has committed no crimes, just done his job as a responsible and respectable MP. If he has then by his own admittance then Gordon Brown is guilty of the same crime and not just on one occasion. As Gordon says it's not a mole it's just someone who is concerned about the public interest.
Fraser finishes off his article in the Spectator with the following words.
So it’s no excuse for Brown to say that the system went crazy during Green’s arrest. It should make him wonder what kind of monster has been created. It’s no use for Michael Martin to let it be known he’s hopping mad. He can still act. To signal the seriousness of what happened last week, he can resign – not out of guilt, but out of protest. Green’s arrest is a wake-up call for all of us, but no one more so than politicians. The last ten years have been about giving the system more power and money. It’s gone way, way too far. Now’s the time to fight back.
The problem is how does the ordinary punter do this today. We are now in the grip of a government that steadily and surely over the past 11 years has managed to begin to control our thoughts, words and deeds. We spend our lives wondering if what we say or write has been misinterpreted or could be deemed as somehow racist, stereotypical, anti-feminist, anti-government or a whole class of other possible indiscretions. We are scared even to put out the "wrong" sort of rubbish or to dare to drive a car by ourselves or even holiday abroad.
It's gone so far that now is the time to fight back to stop the erosion of our liberties, to stop those who would wish us all to lie down and just do as they say rather than stand up and fight and question what is happening to this country of ours.
When David Davies resigned earlier this year he gave a speech outlining the reasons he was making his stand. I thought at the time it was strange decision as I felt he could make his views heard much better from his then position but supported what he was highlighting. Now I know that, perhaps, he had realised just how far this government has gone to turn us into a Stalinesque Society.
David Davis said this in his speech
But in truth perhaps 42 days is the one most salient example of the insidious, surreptitious and relentless erosion of fundamental British freedom.
And we will have shortly the most intrusive identity card system in the world. A CCTV camera for every 14 citizens, a DNA database bigger than any dictatorship has, with thousands of innocent children and millions of innocent citizens on it.
We have witnessed an assault on jury trials, a bolt against bad law and its arbitrary use by the state.
And shortcuts with our justice system, which will make our system neither firm nor fair and a creation of a database state opening up our private lives to the prying eyes of official snoopers and exposing our personal data to careless civil servants and criminal hackers.
The state has security powers to clamp down on peaceful protest and so-called hate laws to stifle legitimate debate, whilst those who incite violence get off scot-free.
This cannot go on, it must be stopped, and for that reason today I feel it is incumbent on me to take a stand.
To those above must now be added the the terrible crimes of "Conspiring to Tell the Truth" and "Just Doing your Job".
The story, as it is revealed, of the arrest of Damian Green, may just be the final catalyst to the general public, just as the PBR was earlier this week on the economy, to understanding just what has happened under the insidious direction of the Labour Government. It may just be the time when they say no more and demand we get rid of the pestilence that now threatens to devour the freedoms we so rightly prize in this country. I can only hope that we do not have to suffer for much longer.
Who would have thought Tony Benn would have this to say when a Labour Government was in Power
"It is a total breach of what accords the privileges of parliament and therefore, the electors. His computers have been searched, his e-mail has been frozen."
He said that it was tantamount to a Contempt of Parliament. "Once police can interfere in parliament, then we're into a police state."
"For five years I have avoided using the phrase 'police state'. But the sort of things going on here is what you expect in a police state, a banana state. This is the most extraordinary event of my parliamentary career."
Nick Clegg gets in on the act as well.
Mr. Clegg called the arrest of Damian Green "a mayday warning for British democracy."
"We have one of the most unaccountable, secretive forms of government anywhere in the modern world.
"Now we have an opposition frontbench spokesman raided by anti-terror police. It's the kind of thing you'd expect in a tinpot dictatorship."
He said that he had consulted with Lord Carlisle who told him that he had "no idea why anti-terror powers could have been used in the first place."
"We need a parliament that can hold the government into account. Our parliament is neutered."
So that's just about all the main parties covered.
Now we await the "Spliffer" or Snot Gobbleer to tell us why this all in the greater good. Oh they have here is the story according to the Daily Mash.
THE Prime Minister last night began the elimination of his enemies as he pledged to cleanse Britain of the virus of dissent.
Crowds cheered and threw rotten fruit at Conservative MP Damian Green as he was dragged from his bed in the early hours by the Prime Minister's anti-treason officers.
The traitor Green was questioned for nine hours before confessing. His whereabouts are now unknown though Downing Street said he was in a place where he could do no more harm.
More arrests are expected today as Mr Brown makes an example of all those who would seek to destroy our faith in his wisdom and kindness.
According to Downing Street the Prime Minister questioned Green personally and was able to secure the names of more than 20 co-conspirators after the application of electrodes and a small wet sponge.
A spokesman said: "Listen well, treacherous scum. We know where you live. Do not try to hide from us. You will simply prolong your inevitable journey into the realms of pain."
He added: "All of those who have at any time questioned the Prime Minister's actions and judgement must surrender immediately.
"We can then begin the joyful process of re-ordering your thoughts and returning you to full productivity."
The people have welcomed the purge with many leaving bouquets and gifts outside Downing Street. Meanwhile primary school children in Reading have made a collage depicting the Prime Minister cuddling a baby horse
I don't often read Conservative Home , it's a bit right wing for a Tory like me, but this article is just exactly what I am thinking about the Damian Green affair.
According to Sky, the word from Downing Street is this:
"This is a matter for the police...The Prime Minister had no prior knowledge of the arrest of Mr Green and was only informed after the event."
Two classic Brownisms here. First, the washing of one's hands of any involvement in a controversy if it seems that negative publicity might result, by saying it is in the hands of an outside quango/ agency/ the courts/ investigation/ report/ independent adjudicator/ study, etc (delete as appropriate). In this case, it is the police.
The second is this - there is a denial of involvement, but the denial relates only to a specific part of the chain of events, in this case, the actual arrest of Damian Green. There is no denial that the PM knew of the investigation or knew that a senior Conservative was allegedly involved. Important questions like whether the PM or other senior ministers gave a go ahead for action are not covered in the statement.
For the sake of our democracy, I would love to be proven wrong, and be shown that the PM genuinely knew nothing about the police action against Damian Green.
Let me give you just one recent example of how Brown's careful use of language can give rise to a misleading impression. At PMQs, the day after Barack Obama was elected, most MPs were given the impression that the PM had telephoned Obama and congratulated him. I spoke with a top newspaper political correspondent who was certain this was the case. This is what Brown actually said:
"Before I list my engagements, I am sure that the whole House will wish to join me in sending our sincere congratulations to Senator Barack Obama on winning the presidency of the United States and writing a new chapter in history in doing so. The bonds that unite the United States and the UK are vital to our prosperity and security and I know from talking to Senator Obama that he will be a true friend of Britain. The Government look forward to working with the new Administration as we both help people fairly through the downturn. I also want to pay tribute to Senator McCain, who has shown the characteristic dignity that has marked a lifetime of service to his country."
At the time, it sounded to most people that the "talking" he referred to was very recent - indeed, that is what is implied by using the present continuous tense, rather than saying "when I talked with Obama". In reality, Brown didn't speak with Obama for some time after, and was upstaged by Nicolas Sarkozy, much to our PM's chagrin.
The point is merely this - it is too early to tell what Brown knew or didn't, but experience shows one needs to study his words very carefully indeed before reaching any conclusions.
Part of me hopes there is more to Green’s arrest than this. I don’t want to think I live in a country where anyone, far less opposition politicians, can get banged up for scrutinising the government in this way. And what will the public think tomorrow morning: “naughty Mr Green” or “what kind of police state is this?” No wonder No10 is stressing that Gordon Brown had “no prior knowledge” of what looks like calamitously heavy-handed policing. This could end up being a disaster for him.
Apparently the Tory MP Damian Green has been arrested for doing his job by revealing details that might be embarrassing to the current Zanu-Labour government.
Our Glorious Leader apparently knows nothing about it and his hench-woman "Spliffer" Smith also denied any prior knowledge. However Boris Johnson has admitted knowledge of the event and had apparently advised police against this action.
According to the Daily Mail
Shadow immigration minister Damian Green was accused of an obscure offence of conspiring with 'misconduct in public office' after a Whitehall official was also held.
Counter-terrorism police are understood to have descended on his home in Kent without warning and arrested him over claims that he leaked confidential Government documents.
Many questions remain over this and it will be interesting to see how it plays in the media over the next couple of days.
Interesting to note that senior Conservatives (code for DC) described the move as "Stalinesque" an oblique reference surely to the fact that this has all the signs of the snot-gobbler at work. Surely not he is too busy working out how to cover-up his screwing up of the PBR on Monday.
Apparently the details revealed were as follows:
The information Mr Green is accused of leaking includes a Home Office memo revealing that an illegal immigrant had been working in the House of Commons as a cleaner.
Another leaked document suggested a cover-up by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith of a massive Government blunder.
It suggested the Home Secretary was warned that thousands of illegal immigrants had been cleared to work in sensitive Whitehall security jobs but accepted advice from her officials for a news blackout on the affair.
Another story showed Labour whips had drawn up a secret list of MPs likely to oppose plans to introduce 42-day detention without charge, and a leaked letter from Miss Smith to the Prime Minister revealed she had warned the recession would lead to a surge in crime.
All of these appear to be more than in the Public Interest.
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