KEY POINTS:
A Conservative MP has been accused by police of "grooming" a Home Office mole over newspaper articles that relied on a series of leaks.
The accusation came as Damian Green was questioned for nine hours by police investigating at least 20 leaks of secret documents from the department. As details of the investigation emerged, the shadow immigration minister told friends he was livid that detectives had resorted to "provocative" language used to describe sex offenders and suicide bombers.
Whitehall officials fear that at least 20 confidential papers are believed to have been spirited out of the Home Office in the past 18 months, far more than the four leaks linked to Green.
The outcry over Green's arrest left Michael Martin facing the worst crisis of his eight years as Commons Speaker as senior MPs of all parties demanded an explanation over why police had been allowed to raid Green's parliamentary office.
MPs were last night threatening to disrupt the state opening of Parliament today if Martin did not act over the Tory MP's arrest on Friday.
Green was detained by police probing his links to a Home Office official suspected of leaking documents that embarrassed Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary. The episode has led to protests from across the political spectrum that Green was being pursued just for doing his job of holding the Government to account. Smith is also under fire from Cabinet colleagues for her handling of the affair.
Party sources revealed the aggressive questioning that Green faced during his grilling in Belgravia's high-security police station. One source said: "He was accused of grooming a civil servant. He was very angry about the choice of word and did not reply to the question. He thought the police were being deliberately provocative." Green was questioned by police investigating whether he incited the Home Office official - named as Chris Galley, 26 - to leak documents.
Smith refused to apologise for the arrest as she signalled that the investigation was wide-ranging.
But Harriet Harman, the Commons leader, struck a more conciliatory note. She said she was "very concerned" by the police action and called on Speaker Martin to examine the procedures for allowing raids on parliamentary offices. "We have got to be sure that while 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.
The Speaker's critics, joined yesterday by the former Cabinet minister Kenneth Clarke, are demanding an explanation over why the raid was allowed in the Commons. Richard Bacon, a Tory MP, said: "It leaves me wondering how I can have any confidence that the Speaker would defend my right as a member of Parliament to hold sensitive information without the fear of a police raid."
LINKS IN HOME OFFICE LEAKS
May 2004: Chris Galley stands as a Tory candidate in 2004 elections for Sunderland Council. Polls 676 votes.
December 2005: Damian Green is appointed the shadow immigration minister by the new Tory leader, David Cameron.
Mid-2007: Galley applies to work for Green but is rejected.
July 2007: Jacqui Smith appointed Home Secretary.
November 2007: Leaked memos suggest Smith helped cover up licensing of illegal immigrants as security guards.
February 2008: Home Office document discloses an illegal immigrant worked at the Commons using a fake pass.
April: Sunday paper passes a Home Office list of more than 50 Labour MPs suspected of plotting to defeat plans to extend the detention period for terror suspects to 42 days.
September: A leaked letter from Smith to Downing Street reveals fears the recession will increase crime.
September-October: The Home Office's Sir David Normington asks for police help to identify the mole.
November 19: Galley is arrested and is suspended.
November 27: Green is arrested and questioned. Sir David, Cameron and Boris Johnson informed. Green's offices and London home are raided. Green released at 11pm and denies any wrongdoing.
November 28: Police remain at Green's offices in Ashford, Kent. Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Smith insist they knew nothing in advance of the police action.
Yesterday: Cameron brands Brown a "hypocrite" for his silence over the arrest and says it is a "watershed moment" for democracy.
Wednesday: MPs to return to the Commons for the Queen's Speech. The Speaker is expected to make a statement.
January 2009: Galley is due to return to police for further questioning.
February 2009: Green is due to return to police for further questioning.
- INDEPENDENT
