The Damian Green Affair
Posted by Diane Abbott, MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, at 16:49, Fri 5 December 2008:
Like many people I have been very concerned about the arrest of Shadow Immigration Minister Damian Green MP. He was arrested by Metropolitan police and held for nine hours before being released last week. His offices in Kent and Westminster were searched, as well as his home. This action by police is almost entirely unprecedented in the House of Commons. It is particularly alarming because Mr Green was arrested for publicising material that had been leaked to him from the Home Office.
I categorically do not believe that MPs are above the law. Where an MP is in breach of a parliamentary rule or the law itself of course they must be held to account. But leaks from government departments do happen. And opposition MPs may well see it in the public interest to publicise the material.
So it is concerning that police saw fit to arrest Damian Green. And it is also concerning that the Sergeant of Arms allowed police to search Mr Green’s offices without a search warrant. MPs’ offices contain some extremely confidential material. Constituents who write into the office, or who come to see their MP at advice surgeries, are given our guarantee that their case is confidential. I’m pleased that the Speaker has given his word that no MP’s office will ever be searched without him seeing a warrant first.
Finally, it is surprising to me that the Mayor of London knew of these raids in advance but Home Office Ministers were not informed.
What do constituents think about the Damian Green case? Do you think the police were right to investigate the Home Office leaks in this way? Or do such heavy-handed tactics compromise the independence of MPs and therefore the democratic process in Parliament?
Comments
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Posted by Robert Pendar-Hughes, 17:58, Wed 7 January 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
At best it was an extremely high-handed action - at worst it was an orchestrated attempt to intimidate MP's, scaring them off considering any future leaking of government information.
Bob Pendar-Hughes Clapton E5
Posted by ron riley, 18:53, Wed 7 January 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
Everyone involved, from the Police to those who facilitated them and including people who knew that this was going to happen and did nothing, all of them should have known better. Yes, the democratic process has been compromised.
Posted by Sahar, 19:47, Wed 7 January 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
I do not like the way our country is going - it is slowly becoming a police state where all your movements are monitored by CCTV, logging of emails and phone calls, the new ID cards - all under the guise of protecting us from terrorism. I think the government uses fear to suppress the public while it introduces new questionable laws. Certainy MP's and other civil servants should leak info if they feel its in the public interest. Diane, maybe its time to introduce a law which punishes the government for harassing MPs and civil servants?
Posted by Matt Saywell, 21:02, Wed 7 January 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
The incident was without precedent and alarming. However, this is a reflection of the way the police now feel they can operate under "New" Labours new anti terror regime. With plans to also monitor ALL web access, not just calls and emails, by private companies (not even the state), we must question the direction our government has taken us.
With regard to Damian Green, he got a taste of what is happening to a large section of society at present, maybe it's lucky he wasn't transported to Guantanamo.
Thanks Diane, now what about Gaza?
Posted by John Callon, 01:26, Thu 8 January 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
This was a puzzling case. Both the Home Secretary and the Prime Minister have relied on the police statement that they were investigating leaks that were potentially a risk to national security. While one must now accept that Damian Green was not in receipt of such risky material, we don't know if such material has been leaked and if so to whom. So perhaps there was a reason for involving the police in this case.
That said, I do believe they should have considered more fully the ramifications of their action in arresting Green and searching his office without a warrant before they embarked on this course.
It is puzzling as to how and why Boris Johnson was informed of the police action but not Ministers (if they are to be believed). This seems to be another lack of judgement by the police.
I do agree that MP's offices (both in Parliament and the consituency) should never be put in the position of being open to trawling by the police, and I think the Speaker and the House authorities need to tighten up the rules on this.
You rightly comment that leaks from government departments do happen - but most of these leaks are make by members of the government or persons acting on their instruction. The contents of the recent budget statement and the Queens Speech were leaked by the government itself. If the government is concerned about leaks, perhaos it should stop leaking information itself. I thought the Great Leader (to use Andrew Neil's phrase) was going to follow the protocol of releasing information in Parliament in the first instance. More "Do as I do" rather than "Do as I say" might help.
Posted by Chris Burroughes, 14:16, Thu 8 January 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
I'm glad to see Diane Abbott putting this out to consultation. I share concerns about this attack on our constitution. Sadly it is part of a wider patten of attacks on our civil liberties under the guise of improving our security. This is one of the key reasons why I, a lifelong Labour voter, am seriously considering voting for any other party. While I dislike some of other parties' social policies, the issue of our liberties and constitutuion is of much greater importance.
Posted by Thomas MacManus, 15:29, Thu 8 January 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
I feel that the search was an attack on democracy - the Police really need to get their house in order, be apolitical, and watch out for clear cases of manipulation by the political complex.
Posted by Thomas MacManus, 15:30, Thu 8 January 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
and yes, what about Gaza?
Posted by Paul Noel, 18:23, Fri 9 January 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
this is totally disgracefull, this just anoter case of police enforceing their predrudice power on , somebody simply exsposeing what happens behind the seens
Posted by richard mcmillan, 14:43, Mon 12 January 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
It certainly looks like the police behaving in a partisan manner or simply a case of very poor judgement on their part.
Not to mention the reprecussions for DG - DNA stored *forever*, record of arrest - now to be declared when applying to enter the US; the list goes on...
Posted by Diane Abbott, 15:53, Tue 13 January 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
Thank you everyone for some very interesting responses. I agree that the authorities involved should have known better. I also agree that the Damien Green case may be connected to the general move towards squeezing our civil liberties.
Re: Gaza – I am appalled at the current situation in Gaza and have written to the Foreign Secretary and the Prime Minister calling for action against the Israeli military attacks. The following statement (signed by 120 parliamentarians) expresses my views on the subject:
“Stop the Slaughter in Gaza: Israel's continuing massive military strikes on Gaza are an outrage that the international community must not allow to continue. Palestinian rocket attacks which traumatise the lives of communities in Southern Israel are also utterly unacceptable. Both sides must cease fire. Israel's actions are disproportionate and counter productive to achieving either security for the people of Israel or peace in the Middle East. Physicians for Human Rights (Israel) have warned that "targeting of civilians and of medical facilities is a breach of international humanitarian law. The targets chosen by the Israeli military include also clearly civilian installations." Gaza is one of the poorest and most densely populated places on earth. For the last two years, the blockade and previous Israeli strikes had already disrupted electricity supplies and access to clean water. Even before the current attack, Gaza's health system was near collapse. Hospitals are short of medicines, blood and essential equipment. Only half of Gaza's 58 ambulances are functioning. We call on the international community, and especially the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention, to intervene to stop the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza. We call for an immediate ceasefire by all parties and for an embargo on the supply of military equipment to both sides. The international community must also assert unambiguously that there is no military route to peace in the Middle East and redouble its efforts to create a secure and independent state of Palestine alongside a secure and independent Israel.”
Over the coming weeks I will be questioning the Government on whether we have been selling arms to Israel, and if so what these arms have been used for.
Posted by Steve lane, 17:27, Tue 13 January 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
Dear Diane Abbott,
It's a shame that you can write with such effort and concern about another MP getting arrested.
When I had my environment destroyed by unaccountable council officials, You did absolutely nothing (despite being given overwhelming evidence of their corruption). You could not even get the officers involved, to answer any relevant questions. This is what the officers wrote "...unacceptable and is likely to cause adverse problems of overlooking, loss of light and amenity to neighbours".
"the proposal would adversely affect light and outlook to the rear of these properties to an unacceptable degree, reducing the quality of life of these residents".
Before the ink was dry on the above statements the officers involved passed an almost identical proposal ensuring with, deceitful correspondence, that there would be no objectors.
My home was destroyed and I was forced to leave. The officers orchestrated a smear campaign against me. You did absolutely nothing.
The officers are all still there, I have recently forced them to admit that the 2nd identical proposal, which they approved is in breach of planning laws as it went even higher than the one that was refused. Unfortunately the officers will not be enforcing this one though as it will open the can of worms that will expose their corruption.
You could ask some very quick simple questions to these officers and their answers would prove their corruption but you did nothing.
There is an increasing feeling in Hackney at least that you are not representing the people, but rather yourself. You shouldd try and decide whether you want to be a TV personality or a representative of the people (I think they are called MPs).
regards
Steve Lane
PS My father was on the Windrush I grew up in a childrens home full of paedophiles and now I have had my home destroyed by bent council officials. (it has destroyed my faith in justice and democracy) I find Harry's use of the word "Paki" deeply offensive but it shows just how far we have Not come in this country with regards to race relations.
Yours sincerely,
Steve Lane
Posted by Robert Pendar-Hughes, 09:45, Wed 14 January 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
Angry Mr Lane is a little off message with his post - I'm assuming that he's having a go at Hackney's Planning Office....well, having interfaced with that ill-starred department I understand his anger and frustration. Hackney Planning enjoys a terrible reputation in the borough it is meant to serve. A root and branch clean out is urgently required and a retrospective investigation by an impartial authority of all it's irregular decisions would be a healthy thing for the citizens of Hackney. Obscure planning issues aren't as glamorous or headline grabbing as the DG affair but attention to the former will mark out the dilligent MP....
Posted by Jacqui Deprez, 19:51, Wed 14 January 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
C/mon Diane what about Mr Lane?
If you can't help him who can? This sounds like a whole can of worms that needs cleaning out. If you can write a letter about Gaza you can write one to Hackney Planning Office requesting answers to various questions.
Maybe a bit more work closer to home would give your popularity a boost in the next elections.
Posted by Matt Saywell, 19:14, Thu 15 January 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
Thanks for posting your excellent letter.
I must say I too share Mr Lane's concerns about Hackney Planners, even though he has distracted the original discussion.
Perhaps, to coin a phrase, you can think global and act local?
Posted by Robert Pendar-Hughes, 09:14, Wed 21 January 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
The latest legislation to radically curb the power & scope of Coroners is further proof that the 'DG Affair' is just one amongst a raft of measures that attack the foundations of our democracy. Under cover of flimsy 'patriotic' reasoning, the new law would alter the process which has served our nation for 800 years, it would allow for 'secret' Coroners courts to hide potentially embarrassing incidents away from the public scrutiny. What next, trial without jury? (sic).