|
Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
|
|
UK: Blair hints at error over cannabis downgrade
Philip Johnston and George Jones The Telegraph
Wednesday 04 May 2005 Tony Blair admitted yesterday that his Government could have been wrong to downgrade the seriousness of cannabis. He told worried parents during an election event in Lancashire that there was increasing medical evidence that cannabis was "not quite as harmless as people make out". Mr Blair's comments were the most striking acknowledgement yet that ministers now fear that the controversial policy was a mistake. Fifteen months ago the Home Office reclassified the drug from a Class B to a Class C substance. Police were issued with guidance that possession of the drug in small quantities for personal use should no longer lead to an arrest. The confirmation of the rethink on cannabis came as Mr Blair, leading a final push in the battleground marginal constituencies, sought to portray the Liberal Democrats as "soft on drugs", claiming they proposed that no one caught with hard drugs would be jailed. In a break with precedent, Labour detailed eight major Bills for the Queen's Speech on May 17. A Health and Improvement Bill would pre-empt one of the main Conservative campaign themes by tackling the hospital superbug MRSA by giving new priority to infection control. It would also ban smoking in public places. Election A Welfare Reform Bill would reform incapacity benefit; an ID Cards Bill would "make Britain's borders more secure, tackle benefit fraud and fight terrorism"; an Asylum and Immigration Bill would "fast-track" applications. A Violent Crime Reduction Bill would restrict the sale of replica guns and knives; a Work and Families Bill would extend maternity leave and An Education and Skills Bill would enable successful schools to expand by taking over less successful ones. Labour also plans another Anti-Terrorism Bill. Interviewed on Channel 4 News, Mr Blair ruled out a further inquiry into the legality of the Iraq war. He also promised Labour would not increase National Insurance again to fund further NHS spending. Michael Howard focused on undecided voters during a whirlwind tour of marginals. He urged voters to "send a message" to Mr Blair that they wanted lower taxes, improved school discipline and cleaner hospitals. The Tory leader and his team where involved in increasingly ill-tempered confrontations with Mr Blair's supporters on visits to three Labour-held seats. Charles Kennedy dismissed Labour warnings that voting for his party risked letting Mr Howard into Downing Street by the back door. He claimed that Mr Blair was "scared stiff" that millions of people were preparing to vote Liberal Democrat.
After you have finished reading this article you can click here to go back.
|
This page was created by the Cannabis Campaigners' Guide.
Feel free to link to this page!