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UK: Beware dealer's charter, says Tory MP

Tom Baldwin

The Times

Tuesday 23 Oct 2001

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ANN WIDDECOMBE said yesterday that plans to stop police arresting people
for possession of cannabis threaten to become a 'dealer's charter'.
The former Shadow Home Secretary, whose own 'zero tolerance' proposal on
drugs was spectacularly ambushed by senior Tory colleagues last year, said:
'I think the danger is that this will end up as the thin end of the wedge.'

Although she welcomed measures which will result in less bureaucracy and
waste of police time, Miss Widdecombe said: 'If David Blunkett is going to
reclassify this drug it sends out a signal that it will be taken less
seriously in the future. He must address the dealer side of the question .
. there needs to be a new criminal offence of substantial possession.'

Her policy to give spot fines and a police record to anyone caught with
cannabis was abandoned after eight members of the Shadow Cabinet admitted
they had smoked the drug. The rebels included Oliver Letwin, who inherited
Miss Widdecombe's Home Affairs brief after the last election. Last year he
confessed that as a 'pretentious' student he had smoked cannabis in his pipe.

Yesterday, he would say only: 'As has already been stated, the Conservative
Party is undergoing a detailed policy review and, no doubt, this will be
one of the matters that is discussed.

'David Blunkett claims that these measures will result in fewer young
people having a drugs problem. We shall see.'

Tim Yeo, the only member of the Shadow Cabinet brave enough to admit he had
enjoyed smoking cannabis, was uncharacteristically shy of commenting on
yesterday's announcement. However, Peter Lilley, the former Tory deputy
leader who has advocated decriminalisation of cannabis, said the proposals
did not go far enough.

'They had missed the main point. People will still have to get their softer
drugs from people who deal hard drugs. If there was a limited number of
outlets that can supply it legally it would break that link.'

Jon Owen Jones, the backbench Labour MP whose Bill to legalise cannabis
comes before the House of Commons on Friday, welcomed the Home Secretary's
announcement but said it was only a step in the right direction.

The former Welsh Office Minister said: 'This is an acknowledgement that the
present policies are not working. Harsh criminal penalties are not the way
to deal with cannabis use. However, this move alone does not go far enough.
Cannabis use is clearly very prevalent in this country and does no
noticeable harm.

'Although this essentially decriminalises cannabis use and possession, it
leaves cannabis supply in the hands of criminal gangs.'

Paul Flynn, another Labour backbencher who has campaigned for drugs reform,
said: 'This is a wonderful, sensible first step.'

Simon Hughes, the Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesman, said: 'The
announcement on cannabis is welcome but it is extraordinary that it has
taken so long.'

 

 

 

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