ImageThe BBC is among those reporting that the police accused Damian Green of "grooming" his source. According to The Times

Sources close to the investigation confirmed that they were examining information suggesting that Mr Green encouraged the official, Christopher Galley, 26, to leak documents and may have set him specific tasks.

In what sense was Mr Green able to "set" Mr Galley tasks?

Benedict Brogan tries to piece together who authorised the search of Mr Green's Commons office and why.

The consensus is that Jacqui Smith ought to have known that an MP was being arrested. This is surely right.

The Times adds that

Sir Paul Stephenson, who becomes acting commissioner of the Metropolitan Police today, may withdraw an application to be the next commissioner after a row with Boris Johnson, the London Mayor, over Mr Green’s arrest. One Yard source said: “This is the worst crisis ever — if we call off the inquiry we look stupid and if we go ahead the criticism will be relentless."

... Other Home Office leaks being investigated are: the complete version of Sir Ronnie Flanagan’s report on the future of policing in February; the information that a disc containing details of 4,000 Dutch offenders that had been sent to Britain had been lost for a year; and news of the loss of data on thousands of prolific offenders.

The leak in August this year that a memory stick containing names of prolific offenders and the names and addresses of 84,000 prisoners had been lost was particularly damaging as it was disclosed just two days after Ms Smith herself was informed.

A useful reminder that the state sees no duty to tell us anything except what is convenient for us to know. Jackboot Jacqui seems to see nothing wrong in this.

There is comment from William Rees-Mogg, while Helen thinks the controversy precious and over-rated. Jackie Ashley criticises the Home Secretary and seems confused about how the police should be controlled.

Do read the best comment piece, by Trevor Kavanagh, who puts this case in the context of other police heavy-handed failures and widens the debate to look at the increasing powers of other even less visible officials.

These are the alarming consequences of an authoritarian regime that sees the state as paramount and the people as pygmies.

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