Damian Green 'will not have to resign' over laptop porn storm
2 min read
Damian Green will be told he does not have to resign over allegations of sexual misconduct or storing porn on a work computer, according to the political editor of ITV.
In a Facebook post last night, Robert Peston said “three well-placed sources” have told him the de-facto deputy prime minister “will be OK”.
A Cabinet Office probe into whether Mr Green broke the ministerial code of conduct is expected to report any day now.
Losing the First Secretary of State would be a major blow to an already weakened Theresa May as he is a lifelong friend and close confidant.
Two former police officers have said they found a mammoth stash of porn on a computer belonging to Mr Green after an unrelated raid in 2008.
But according to Mr Peston the police testimony “does not prove beyond doubt that it was Green himself who was watching the porn on the parliamentary equipment”.
Meanwhile, other than a claim by journalist Kate Maltby that he inappropriately touched her leg some years ago, no other women have come forward to present evidence against him.
“It looks as though he’ll be OK” a source told the ITV political boss.
Another said: “Damian won’t have to resign. The confirmation is expected on Wednesday.”
Elsewhere, former Cabinet minister William Hague ruled out a return to frontline politics after he was tipped as a possible replacement for Mr Green should he be forced to quit.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Lord Hague said: “I have read that I should return to government as an old hand, but I have mentally moved on and will most definitely not be doing so.”
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