Damian Green the Conservative immigration minister was arrested for 9 hours when anti-terrorism police burst into his home and parliamentary office. His crime? Allegedly passing on information to the public which has leaked from the home office.
Information including:
- A leaked e-mail from Home Secretary Jacqui Smith's private secretary in July 2007 showed she had chosen not to publicise the fact that licences had been granted to security guards who were illegal immigrants.
- A memo to Home Office minister Liam Byrne was leaked to reveal in February this year that an illegal immigrant had been employed as a cleaner in the House of Commons.
- A draft Home Office letter to Downing Street was then leaked in August, in which Jacqui Smith warned that a recession could lead to a rise in crime.
His computer, containing confidential correspondence of the constituents that elected him, has been seized. His parliamentary e-mail account, suspended, preventing him from replying to their concerns electronically.
What a day for democracy when counter terrorist police can raid the home and office of an MP, for the crime of embarrassing the government.