A report into the arrest of Damian Green MP has said that the police didn't need to arrest him.
To quote from the BBC: article on the subject:
Mr Johnston says in his interim report: "In my view, the manner of Green's arrest was not proportionate because his arrest could have been carried out on an appointment basis, by prior agreement, and when he could be accompanied by his legal representative.
"I recognise the significant political context in which the leaks occurred and the professional anxiety they caused within the civil service.
"However, I regard the leaks for which [Christopher] Galley can be clearly held responsible in law, as amounting to 'embarrassment matters' for government.
"I do not think, from the material presented to me, that the leaks in themselves are likely to undermine government's effectiveness."
Well quite.
Hang on.
Something odd in the first sentence quoted: "In my view, the manner of Green's arrest was not proportionate". Wo-ah.
The manner? It went on "his arrest could have been carried out on an appointment basis". I love this image. Take a ticket from the queue and we'll arrest you when we call out the number. But hang on....
What seems odd is that he needed to be arrested at all.
Was he likely to run away? Abscond from the country? Was he going to be remanded in custody? Attack an old lady?
Could he not just have been interviewed?
I'm not a Tory and I'm not someone that worried about what was leaked, but when an MP can't do his job then we have a problem. We had the establishment attempt to bully an MP into not doing his job. Even now those investigating it won't just say "we were wrong."
