Most people who have followed the arrest of Damian Green, and the police raid on his Commons office, believe that civil servants should be able to leak and that MPs should be able to ask them to do so, a Populus poll for The Times reports today.

It also finds, however, that a majority of those questioned are not interested in the story and believe that politicians should be discussing more important things.

Those who are interested believe that the Home Secretary, the police, the Speaker and the Civil Service have all handled the affair badly.

Responding to a series of questions about the arrest of Mr Green after he received leaked information, 56 per cent say they have not followed it closely enough to be able to express a view. Asked if it was right for a civil servant to leak if they felt important information was being hidden from the public, however, 29 per cent think that it is while 13 per cent think it is wrong.

Asked whether it is right for opposition MPs to encourage officials to disclose information in those circumstances, 26 per cent think it is and 16 per cent do not.

Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, has not handled the saga well, 30 per cent say, with 12 per cent saying that she had done well.

Fourteen per cent think the police have handled the inquiry well and 28 per cent badly. Fourteen per cent think the Civil Service have handled it well and 26 per cent badly.

And there is no comfort at all for the beleaguered Speaker, Michael Martin: 12 per cent think he has done well and 29 per cent badly.

Thirty-nine per cent think it is right that politicians are giving the affair so much attention but 45 per cent think it is a typical Westminster argument that bears no relation to the lives of ordinary people.

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