Damian Green has resigned from the Government following an investigation into his conduct. Below are the letters between the former First Secretary of State and the Prime Minister:
May makes clear in her letter that she asked Green to resign – but it’s worth noting what the resignation was for, as the investigation into his conduct focused on two aspects. The summary of the Cabinet Secretary’s report on these allegations, which was released to the media this evening, says that it was ‘not possible to reach a definitive conclusion on the appropriateness of Mr Green’s behaviour with Kate Maltby in early 2015, though the investigation found Ms Maltby’s account to be plausible’. Green has apologised for his behaviour, which Maltby outlined in a Times piece.
But the minister has instead resigned over his clams that he was unaware there was indecent material – pornography – on parliamentary computers in his office. The summary says:
‘Mr Green’s statements of 4 and 11 November, which suggested that he was not aware that indecent material was found on parliamentary computers in his office, were inaccurate and misleading, as the Metropolitan Police Service had previously informed him of the existence of this material. These statements therefore fall short of the honesty requirement of the Seven Principles of Public Life and constitute breaches of the Ministerial Code. Mr Green accepts this.’
This is of course a major blow for Theresa May. As she makes clear in her letter, Green is a close friend and – more importantly – important political ally. His appointment as First Secretary of State was designed to bolster the Prime Minister after the departure of her joint chiefs of staff Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy, and he was a consistent voice in Cabinet supporting his friend.
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