Labour’s Emily Thornberry jibed at Damian Green over the ongoing sleaze probe into his behaviour today as the embattled minister stood in at PMQs.
Mr Green filled in for Theresa May, who is visiting the Middle East, at the regular Commons session despite still being subject to an official investigation.
But he looked nervous as Mrs Thornberry opened her questions by asking if he was ‘happy to be held to the same standards in government that he required of others while he was in opposition’.
Mr Green, who faces allegations of making inappropriate advances to a Tory activist and that porn was viewed on a computer in his parliamentary office, responded that all ministers should be held to the ministerial code.
Mrs Thornberry joked that Mr Green seemed ‘perturbed by my line of questioning’, adding: ‘He needn’t worry, I’m not going there.’
The shadow foreign secretary proceeded to quiz the First Secretary of State on nurse numbers in his Kent constituency.
Damian Green stood in for Theresa May at Prime Minister’s Questions today despite still being under investigation over computer porn and sleaze claims
Mr Green looked nervous as Mrs Thornberry opened her questions by asking if he was ‘happy to be held to the same standards in government that he required of others while he was in opposition
Mrs Thornberry joked that Mr Green seemed ‘perturbed by my line of questioning’, adding: ‘He needn’t worry, I’m not going there.’
Mrs May ordered an inquiry last month into allegations that Mr Green made inappropriate advances to a female activist Kate Maltby.
The probe was later widened to cover claims that pornography was found by police on a computer in his Commons office during a controversial raid in 2007.
Mr Green was also hit with a thinly-veiled question from Labour MP John Mann, who urged him to apologise to victims of sexual harassment that ‘parliament and Government have been letting down’.
An awkward-looking Mr Green replied: ‘I absolutely agree that both this place as an institution and all the political parties need to improve complaints procedures and other aspects of the culture of politics to make sure young men or young women interested in politics are not in any way deterred from playing an active role in it.’
Asked by reporters on her trip earlier today why Mr Green was still being allowed to deputise, Mrs May said: ‘He is the First Secretary of State, he has deputised for me at Prime Minister’s Questions before.
‘Obviously considerations of these issues are continuing, but he is First Secretary of State, he has done Prime Minister’s Questions before and I am sure he will do a very good job.’
Mrs May’s spokesman was unable to give a timetable for the completion of the inquiry or of a separate probe into allegations about international trade minister Mark Garnier.
The PM’s spokesman said: ‘The whole procedure is ongoing.
‘Once that is concluded, it will report back and the findings will be made public.
Mrs May (pictured leaving No 10 on Monday) ordered an inquiry last month into allegations that Mr Green made inappropriate advances to a female activist Kate Maltby.
Mrs May (pictured during a PMQs in February) insisted today her defacto deputy will do a ‘very good good job’ but he will appear despite Downing Street last night refusing to offer a full vote of confidence in him
‘Damian Green is First Secretary of State and you would expect him to stand in for the Prime Minister at PMQs.
‘We are not in the business of pre-empting the findings of this inquiry.’
Labour MP Jess Phillips, who has campaigned for a clean up of Westminster since harassment allegations first emerged, condemned the decision to send Mr Green.
She tweeted: ‘The political still matters more than the problem to those with power. It’s been tiring trying to get people to take it seriously.
‘This looks like more of that to those who have complained.’
Ms Thornberry was making her second appearance deputising for Jeremy Corbyn, who by convention also misses the session when Mrs May is away.
Mr Green will face shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry across the Despatch Box as she stands in for Jeremy Corbyn