by Adam McCulloch
On last night's Question Time (BBC1) Michael Heseltine, in answer to a question on the government's cannabis u-turn, put the surprising view that any successful drugs strategy should “start at the top”. He singled out the “Chelsea party set” as particularly culpable when it comes to drugs use and suggested a far stricter policy on substance misuse at the country's public schools.
The discussion up to then had consisted of the usual boring attacks on the government which according to Piers Morgan, Rachel Johnson and Menzies Campbell should bow down to “expert” opinion and, ignoring political imperatives, keep cannabis as a class c drug.
It took Heseltine, who has never felt the need to toe the party line, to rise above the political scrum and say something fresh and thought-provoking. And it's a good idea; after all if cocaine, crack and skunk are socially acceptable among the naughty rich – who are paying the dealers generously – why should everybody else “just say no”?
Comments (2)
You are forgetting that he also slammed Brown for ignoring the advice of experts, then said that he himself will never believe expert advice on the idea of grass being a gateway drug which he thinks it is(which has been disproven since research in the 1960s)
Whilst I agree with his statement of starting from the top, and that this governments drugs policy U-turn is not going to work and stupid, he his not exactly one to lecture as he said that he woul dplainly disregard scientific evidence and expert opinion.
Posted by Paul | May 10, 2008 2:37 PM
Posted on May 10, 2008 14:37
Politics isn't scientific and experts often disagree vehemently, so I don't see why Brown should necessarily heed the experts.
Posted by johny | May 14, 2008 9:46 AM
Posted on May 14, 2008 09:46