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Widdecombe to rethink tough stand on cannabis

Andy McSmith

Ananova

Friday 17 Nov 2000


Shadow home secretary Ann Widdecombe says she would rethink her "zero
tolerance" policy on cannabis. Her decision comes after being
ridiculed for her Tory Party conference speech saying police should
act against anybody caught in possession of the drug.

Ms Widdecombe told BBC News 24: "I am a very practical politician and
you know that once you've got a policy - it doesn't matter how
unfairly it may have been parodied or ridiculed - once you've got a
policy that has been through those sort of rough waters you would be a
very great fool if you didn't say: 'Right, let's see if we can do it
in a slightly different way'."

Following her speech, several members of the shadow cabinet admitted
to having smoked cannabis themselves in what was seen as a concerted
move to undermine her.

Ms Widdecombe said: "I'm not really sure what went wrong ... but as
far as I was concerned we had a policy which I thought would have been
properly cleared.

"It was a very surprising day and obviously not one of my best moments
in my political career, but on the other hand these things happen."

Ms Widdecombe said the media had been longing for her to "come a
cropper" but added: "You know I've managed to face you lot down before
and I will do it again."

 

 

 

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