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| Straw 'surprised' by Green arrest | Straw 'surprised' by Green arrest |
| (9 minutes later) | |
| Justice Secretary Jack Straw has said he was "very surprised" by the arrest of Conservative MP Damian Green. | Justice Secretary Jack Straw has said he was "very surprised" by the arrest of Conservative MP Damian Green. |
| Senior Tories are furious that police held the shadow immigration minister, reportedly accusing him of "grooming" a Home Office mole to leak information. | Senior Tories are furious that police held the shadow immigration minister, reportedly accusing him of "grooming" a Home Office mole to leak information. |
| Mr Straw told BBC: "I certainly understand the concern of my parliamentary colleagues." | Mr Straw told BBC: "I certainly understand the concern of my parliamentary colleagues." |
| His comments come amid reports that angry MPs may disrupt the state opening of Parliament on Wednesday. | His comments come amid reports that angry MPs may disrupt the state opening of Parliament on Wednesday. |
| Mr Green was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office, but not charged. | Mr Green was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office, but not charged. |
| 'Ridiculous headlines' | 'Ridiculous headlines' |
| The Ashford MP, who denies any wrongdoing, was held for nine hours while his homes and offices were searched. | The Ashford MP, who denies any wrongdoing, was held for nine hours while his homes and offices were searched. |
| The Speaker of the House of Commons, Michael Martin, is also under pressure to justify why he had allowed police to enter Parliament and search Mr Green's office. His office has said he will address MPs on Wednesday. | The Speaker of the House of Commons, Michael Martin, is also under pressure to justify why he had allowed police to enter Parliament and search Mr Green's office. His office has said he will address MPs on Wednesday. |
| Mr Straw told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Everybody who has been made aware of these unfolding events, of course, is very surprised by the nature of the raid." | Mr Straw told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Everybody who has been made aware of these unfolding events, of course, is very surprised by the nature of the raid." |
| FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programme | FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME More from Today programme |
| But he added: "We don't have a police state here, despite many of the ridiculous newspaper headlines. A police state would be where ministers were directing an investigation... | But he added: "We don't have a police state here, despite many of the ridiculous newspaper headlines. A police state would be where ministers were directing an investigation... |
| "We have an independent police service." | "We have an independent police service." |
| Many MPs are reported to be dissatisfied with Home Secretary Jacqui Smith's response so far to the arrest. | Many MPs are reported to be dissatisfied with Home Secretary Jacqui Smith's response so far to the arrest. |
| On Sunday, she told the BBC she had not known in advance about the raids. Ms Smith refused to apologise for the arrest, saying it would have been "Stalinist" had she interfered in the investigation into Home Office leaks. | On Sunday, she told the BBC she had not known in advance about the raids. Ms Smith refused to apologise for the arrest, saying it would have been "Stalinist" had she interfered in the investigation into Home Office leaks. |
| Mr Straw told Today: "If an investigation is an investigation of your own department, then there are still more reasons why the home secretary needs to stand back from it. | Mr Straw told Today: "If an investigation is an investigation of your own department, then there are still more reasons why the home secretary needs to stand back from it. |
| "If any home secretary had offered an apology, there would then be a huge furore about the home secretary prejudicing the investigation." | "If any home secretary had offered an apology, there would then be a huge furore about the home secretary prejudicing the investigation." |
| Documents | Documents |
| When police questioned Mr Green, the shadow immigration minister, they are said to have suggested to him that he had not "simply received leaked" information but "groomed" a civil servant who had allegedly passed him 20 confidential documents. | When police questioned Mr Green, the shadow immigration minister, they are said to have suggested to him that he had not "simply received leaked" information but "groomed" a civil servant who had allegedly passed him 20 confidential documents. |
| The man, who has been named in newspapers, was a Conservative activist who is believed to have previously applied for jobs in Mr Green's office. | The man, who has been named in newspapers, was a Conservative activist who is believed to have previously applied for jobs in Mr Green's office. |
| There is Tory anger over what they say was the police's use of the controversial term "groomed" because it is usually used in relation to child sex offences. | |
| The important principle is that MPs - apart from when they're speaking in the chamber and dealing with constituents' correspondence - are as subject to the same laws as the rest of us, Vernon BogdanorOxford University Green arrest adds Tory edgeNick Robinson's Newslog href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=5731">Send us your comments | |
| MPs from all the main parties have denounced Mr Green's treatment, saying they believe the raids on his Commons offices amounted to an attack on their ability to represent constituents and hold the government to account. | MPs from all the main parties have denounced Mr Green's treatment, saying they believe the raids on his Commons offices amounted to an attack on their ability to represent constituents and hold the government to account. |
| The Daily Telegraph reports that some politicians are threatening to disrupt the state opening of Parliament on Wednesday in protest, with senior Conservatives considering organising a walk-out unless the authorities apologise. | The Daily Telegraph reports that some politicians are threatening to disrupt the state opening of Parliament on Wednesday in protest, with senior Conservatives considering organising a walk-out unless the authorities apologise. |
| However, constitutional expert Vernon Bogdanor of Oxford University said the row was a "storm in a teacup". | However, constitutional expert Vernon Bogdanor of Oxford University said the row was a "storm in a teacup". |
| "The important principle is that MPs - apart from when they're speaking in the chamber and dealing with constituents' correspondence - are as subject to the same laws as the rest of us," he added. | "The important principle is that MPs - apart from when they're speaking in the chamber and dealing with constituents' correspondence - are as subject to the same laws as the rest of us," he added. |
| The prime minister has always insisted that ministers, including the home secretary, had no "prior knowledge" of the arrest. | The prime minister has always insisted that ministers, including the home secretary, had no "prior knowledge" of the arrest. |
| But Leader of the Commons Harriet Harman has said she "understands" MPs' anger. | But Leader of the Commons Harriet Harman has said she "understands" MPs' anger. |
| She added that she thought there should be a review of the rules in such cases and how it was possible for the authorities to allow the raid on Mr Green's Commons office to take place. | She added that she thought there should be a review of the rules in such cases and how it was possible for the authorities to allow the raid on Mr Green's Commons office to take place. |
| "We have got to be sure that, whilst MPs are not above the law, that actually they are able to get on with their job without unwarranted interference by the law," she said, adding that she believed any review should take place after the police inquiry ends. | "We have got to be sure that, whilst MPs are not above the law, that actually they are able to get on with their job without unwarranted interference by the law," she said, adding that she believed any review should take place after the police inquiry ends. |
| "These are very, very big constitutional principles, we have to make sure they are protected." | "These are very, very big constitutional principles, we have to make sure they are protected." |
| The chairman of the commons public administration committee, Tony Wright, has said he will set up an inquiry into how these matters should be handled in the future. | The chairman of the commons public administration committee, Tony Wright, has said he will set up an inquiry into how these matters should be handled in the future. |