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UK: Labour's 'kick dealers out' campaign attacked by legal experts and MSPs
Neil Mackay, Home Affairs Editor Sunday Herald
Sunday 10 Mar 2002 THE Labour Party, which last week rejected the concept of a War On Drugs, has been attacked for running 'incoherent' policies driven by 'sound-bite politics' after announcing a new zero tolerance approach to dealers. It plans to issue new laws after the next Scottish elections making it an 'aggravated offence' if dealers sell drugs near schools or to children. The party is also planning a grass roots campaign by Labour activists which will see members marching through towns, protesting against dealers. They will be putting up posters proclaiming certain towns 'drug-free' and even writing to local newspapers, potentially naming and shaming dealers. Last week in the Sunday Herald, Labour's drugs minister in the Scottish Executive, Dr Richard Simpson, said: 'The only time you will hear me use terms such as War On Drugs and Just Say No is to denigrate them.' First Minister Jack McConnell said: ' Dealers who peddle drugs on our streets are bad enough, but those who deal to children or near schools are beyond the pale. 'That's why I'm delighted that the Scottish Labour Party will be campaigning to show dealers that we don't want them in our communities.' Deputy Scotland Secretary George Foulkes added: 'Tragically drugs are a problem the length and breadth of Britain. It's fantastic that the Scottish Labour Party will be giving a lead to the UK party by campaigning against dealers. This is not just a Scottish problem. Westminister and Holyrood need to work together to kick the dealers out.' A Labour spokesman said policy documents passed at the last party conference backing making dealing near schools an aggravated offence carrying a heavier sentence, will 'form the basis of the party's policy on drugs in the manifesto'. 'In terms of wider action, we want Labour party members out leafleting in towns and putting up posters saying 'this town is drug-free'.' But he admitted: 'Naming and shaming can have its drawbacks. 'We need to build up a critical mass of people saying that dealing drugs is not acceptable. We want Labour members to be the critical mass that brings others in. This is going to be a street level campaign, and it could involve things like party members leading public marches through towns opposing dealers. 'In no way do we want people interpreting this as supporting vigilantism, but we do want the public to shun dealers. We accept this is a controversial move but that's why we want to take it out onto the streets to see how people react to it.' But the 'kick the dealers out' campaign has been savaged by legal experts and opposition MSPs. Paul McBride, one of Scotland's leading QCs, said: 'Making dealing near schools a specific offence is totally unnecessary as courts already take that into account and it is reflected in sentencing. This seems like simple headline grabbing.' The SNP's deputy justice minister and drugs spokesman, Michael Matheson, said: 'Last week the Labour Party made great play in the Sunday Herald that it was re-focusing its policy on drugs to one of harm reduction and rehabilitation. 'They are obviously finding it difficult to shake-off sound-bite policy making. The biggest criticism of Labour's drugs policy is that it has always been based on spin. 'This shows they have no detailed policy on drugs. It is not thought- through or coherent or even necessary as the courts already take dealing near schools or to children into account. Policies like these do no-one any good. They mislead the public over what Labour really thinks about drugs.' Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats have voted in favour of the legalisation of cannabis making them the first main UK party to support such a move. The party leadership had recommended decriminalisation, but delegates at the Spring Conference in Manchester went one step further. The party also backed downgrading ecstasy from a Class A to a Class B drug. LibDem home affairs spokesman Simon Hughes said the move was 'responsible, realistic and progressive'. Leader Charles Kennedy said having the maturity to discuss the issue openly did the party 'no harm'.
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