Counter-terrorism police arrest Conservative frontbencher

A major political row erupted tonight after counter-terrorism police arrested the shadow home office minister, , after he published leaked documents from a government whistleblower.

An angry politics/davidcameron”>David Cameron condemned the arrest as “Stalinesque” after Green was taken into custody at around 1.50pm in his Ashford constituency and escorted to a central London police station. At 8.30pm tonight, when the Conservatives released details of the arrest, Green was still being questioned.

In all nine counter-terrorism officers conducted simultaneous searches on three locations: Green’s constituency office, his office in the House of Commons and his London home. The MP was arrested under a common law of “aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring misconduct in public office”.

The police action followed the arrest ten days ago of a government whistleblower who had leaked four documents to Green who then passed them to the press. They were:

• A home office memo, which appeared in the Daily Mail on 13 November 2007, which showed that the home secretary Jacqui Smith had been warned four months earlier that thousands of illegal immigrants had been cleared to work in sensitive Whitehall security jobs. The memo emerged days after the Sunday Mirror disclosed that at least 5,000 illegal immigrants had been cleared by the Security Industry Authority to work sensitive Whitehall locations.

• An email to the then home office minister Liam Byrne in February this year which showed that he was informed about an illegal Brazillian immigrant who faked an identity pass to workin parliament. The memo, which was published in the Sunday Telegraph on 10 February this year, said Byrne was informed on 31 January. Byrne was accused of a cover up.

• A list of Labour MPs who were likely yo rebel against the government’s plans to detain terror suspects for up t0 42 days without charge. This appeared in the Sunday Times on 20 April 2008.

• A letter from Jacqui Smith to Gordon Brown warning that a recession would lead to a rise in crime. This appeared in wll papers, including the Guardian, on 1 September this year.

In a statement, the Conservative Party said: “We can confirm that Damian Green was arrested earlier today in connection with his work as opposition spokesman for immigration. Mr Green was arrested in Kent and taken for questioning at a central London police station. Officers from the Metropolitan Police also entered the House of Commons to search Mr Green’s parliamentary office. His home and constituency office were also searched.

“As shadow immigration minister, Mr Green has, on a number of occasions, legitimately revealed information which the Home Office chose not to make public. “Disclosure of this information was manifestly in the public interest. Mr Green denies any wrongdoing and stands by his actions.”

In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: “A 52-year-old man was arrested in Kent shortly before 1400 today. He has been taken to a central London police station where he will be interviewed by detectives.

“The man has been arrested on suspicion of conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office and aiding and abetting, counselling or procuring misconduct in a public office. Search warrants have been executed at: a residential address in Kent; a residential address in west London; a business premises in Kent; a business premises in central London. The search at the residential address in west London has concluded - the other searches continue.”

Tory sources said that Cameron, who was kept fully informed, was furious.

They described the move as unprecedented and noted that police searched Green’s parliamentary office on the day that the commons rose for a mini recess. This would have made it easier to enter the commons.

Cameron was convinced that such a move would have to be approved at the highest level. The Guardian understands that the prime minister found out tonight.

A Tory source said: “David Cameron is angry. This is Stalinesque. He is fully supportive of Damian. We are not suggesting that MPs are above the law. But we do note that the house of commons was not sitting when MPs coulod not raise points of order in the chamber. It is odd that it happened when the house is not sitting.”