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Yard is hunting for more moles across Whitehall
Joe Murphy, Political Editor04.12.08
More police investigations are under way into Whitehall leaks, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith indicated today.
She revealed that the hunt for alleged moles went far beyond the current probe at the Home Office which led to the arrest of Tory MP Damian Green.
Her comments came in answer to a question from former minister John Redwood about a stream of sensitive leaks from the Treasury, including details of the pre-Budget report's cut in VAT and the creation of a 45p tax band.
"There have been other situations where the police have been invited to investigate by the Cabinet Office," she said. Home Office sources confirmed other probes had been launched.
There were angry clashes in the Commons over the Damian Green affair. The MP was arrested and held for nine hours while his Commons office, two homes and constituency office were searched and computers removed.
Scotland Yard failed to fully deny breaching guidelines when it sought consent to raid the Commons. Ms Smith published a letter to her from Met assistant commissioner Bob Quick, who is heading the inquiry.
It agreed that officers were under an obligation to inform the Serjeant at Arms, Jill Pay, that she did not have to consent to the search.
Mr Quick attempted to clarify the situation, writing: "The officers ... were satisfied that the Serjeant at Arms understood that police had no power to search in the absence of a warrant and therefore could only do so with her written consent or that of the Speaker."
However, Code B52 of the codes of practice says the police must be explicit, stating "The person must be clearly informed they are not obliged to consent."
In his letter, Conservative MPs challenged Ms Smith to say whether or not a breach of the guidelines had taken place but she batted away the question, telling them to read Mr Quick's letter. Speaker Michael Martin has said the Serjeant was not told of her rights.
John Silverman, professor of criminal justice and media at Bedfordshire University, said the search of Mr Green's office was "unlawful" if police did not follow procedures. Officers have been ordered to return computer equipment containing confidential files by Monday.
Making a Commons statement on the arrest and search, Ms Smith said some leaked documents were "highly classified" - actually a low ranking of secrecy - but that there were grounds to believe greater secrets were at risk. "The sustained level of leaking that had already taken place clearly suggested that this could go on, would escalate, and that more information of greater sensitivity could potentially leak," she said.
Downing Street said the Prime Minister had confidence in the Speaker.
The Home Secretrary was criticised in the Commons by her Labour predecessor John Reid.
He told her in the Commons that he would have expected to be kept informed.
"I have to say I'm surprised that you weren't informed that your opposite number, effectively, was about to be arrested," he said.
"I cannot think that if I had been told that this had been done after the event that I would have remained as placid as you have in these circumstances."
He added: "I would have wanted to have been informed and to have expressed a view on it."
Ms Smith said she would not have intervened even if she had known an MP ws to be arrested."I believe it would have been wholly inappropriate," she said.
But shadow home secretary Dominic Grieve accused her of trying to "wash her hands" of the affair.
"This episode has nothing to do with national security and everything to do with political embarrassment," he said.
Reader views (14)
Despite all of the fuss over this case we will still end up with whistleblowers fearing for their jobs and their pensions!
What we need is the ‘assumption of openness’ whereby all documents are made publicly available unless good reason is publicly made for it to be otherwise.
If necessary why not have all documents immediately (or at least very soon after creation) open to ‘shadow’ ministers (in the two main opposition parties). Then after a few weeks or at most months these are open to the press and finally all open to the public after a ‘reasonable time’.
The current state of affairs ensures that:
a) decision makers are protected from having to justify their decisions
b) press and whistle blowers having to make extra effort to conceal their activities
c) the public having a healthy cynicism towards those in power
The police were, after all, just performing their duty – that of protecting the establishment against the people – how dare the people know what is being decided in their name.
Signed – An unsuccessful whistleblower
- Dr Alfred Vella, Milton Keynes
Nobody seems to ask the obvious question as to what would have hapened if the police had been refused entry to Mr Green's parliamentary office. Surely they would simply have gone away, and returned a short while later warrant in hand, and due process would have then been effected? What was to be gained by refusing entry when any defect in the process could be so easily cured, and especially so as there seems to have been nothing to hide? To describe what happened as symptomatic of a police state seems to me to be a huge exageration. Personally I think our "rulers" need to climb into the real world of the "ruled" where the ordinary people everyday face real personal tragedies and real personal catastrophies, as opposed to the phoney parliamentary world of John Lewis shopping lists, a gold plated pension scheme denied to the rest of society, "Bullingdon Boy" braying and what is all too often nothing more than a bad case of "VIPitis".
- Concerned Citizen, Nottingham
If there is an increasing amount of leaks could it be that the civil service is tired of being polticised and believes that the governement is not acting in the country's best inerests
- Chaz, Perth, Australia
Britain is entering a very dangerous phase. The police have been totally politicized, very frightening. They kill totally innocent people and there is a complete stonewall. It really says a great deal about the sheer ignorance of the greater British public. Utterly apathetic, poorly educated and brain washed. How much lower can it go?
- James Ritchie, new malden, surrey
Dan T says it all. An MP has confidential corespondence from his constituents and that is what is different from
"us on the left". Perhaps Dan T will perhaps demonstrate why these "on the left" individuals should be given equal status to MPs . Did they stand for election and obtain democratic majorities to represent a constituency. Of course not , the kleft have never had an intrest in democracy. I visited Eastern Eurpoe for 20+ years and saw how much the left covet democracy. Come to think about it the Soviets were great at concealing their incompetence and lying to the populace.
Hmmm there seems to be a pattern.
- T, UK
Whatever, I see that gruesome Gurner Gordon is well out of it today.
He's been scuttling round the Media Studios on a self-promotion tour to tell us how clever his manic Government is, and also what a nice Christmas he's looking forward to.
Lucky for some.
- Dave, cumbria
This is the most repressive government this country has had in living memory. The socialist Big Brother state is designed to crush independent thought and to hide the truth from the British public. We found out because of Damian Green that the Home Office employs 5,000 illegal immigrants in security jobs, that is absolutely crazy. So much for jobs for British people that the nasty socialist promised, no it is British jobs for ILLEGAL immigrants. Our security is being undermined by the Ministry that is supposed to secure. If that is not rank incompetence what is.
- Richard K, Nottingham
Missy Jacqui is showing her 'Cojones'. Maybe she has an eye on Pa Gordo's job as PM. Maybe she is extracting her vengence against nameless Peeps so she can shouw that she too can be a 'Dear Leaderess' when the time comes to boot Pa Broone into the long grass!
All the more reason to demand an early Election in the Spring fo 2009.
- B Clarke, Chelmsford England
Why does the Home Secretary keep harping on about the importance of respecting the independence of the Police? That is not at issue, unless they have been doing her bidding. Surely, the independence of Parliament is the issue in question. That, and the Police's respect for due process.
- Blackstone Coke, London
Do the police not have any crimes to solve? Has mugging gone out of fashion? I thought the police was formed to fight crime, not protect the lawbreakers.
The police should stop wasting our money, but under socialism all we see is waste.
Gree and his mole have behaved correctly by informing us of cover ups. It is Ms smith who should be investigated for telling untruths.
- Richard Partridge, Eaton Bishop UK
The stock answer from the right wing press about crime is 'if you've done nothing wrong, you've got nothing to hide'- the Tories, who ushered in lots of repressive legislation including the Criminal Justice Bill, can't now turn round and grizzle about what Green has experienced because many of us on the left have had to put up with this for years - Police turning up unannounced at work places & our homes, trashing them, taking away personal effects and never returning them and we never, ever get warned, apologised to or have it raised in Parliament. No sympathy whatsoever.
- Dan T, london
This is nothing more than scare tactics from a Government with plenty to hide.
- Steve Morton, Cirencester, UK
I suggest that the investigators try asking the Invisible Man at No.10 where he got all his leaks from when he was in opposition - and follow the evidence wherever it might take them. Looks like it might very well take them straight to one of Mr Brown's own whips - funny, that.
- David H, Aylesbury
The prime minister might claim to have confidence in the Speaker, but few believe the Prime minster any more, or have confidence in him. Lying seems to be part of the job description in Parliament.
- L.Taubler, London / UK
