Morning:
20°c
Secret deal hatched by News of the World to hush up details of phone-tapping was sealed in a tiny room at the Royal Courts of Justice
More...
Drug seizures spark MPs cannabis riddle
Nicholas Cecil, Political Correspondent16.10.07
Police have made three cannabis seizures inside the Houses of Parliament in the last two years, it has been revealed.
The news sparked speculation over whether it was MPs, staff or visitors who smoked dope at the Palace of Westminster.
Nick Harvey MP admitted the drug had been found in reply to a question by Labour's John Mann.
He said: "Since 2001 there have been three seizures of drugs, all cannabis, all in quantities consistent with personal use. Two were recorded in 2005, one in 2006."
Commons authorities declined to reveal where the drug was found or whether MPs were suspects. A string of Cabinet ministers - including Chancellor Alistair Darling and deputy leader Harriet Harman - recently admitted smoking cannabis.
Their confessions came after Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said she used the drug as a student.
The admissions put pressure on Conservative Party leader David Cameron to say if he ever used drugs amid reports he was disciplined at Eton for smoking cannabis.
Reader views (4)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
One law for them, another for the rest of us.
- Sean, London UK
Have we ever thought of legalising cannabis so that at least our MP's would pay taxation on this substance?
- Winston Matthews, Horley Surrey
I'd just like to congratulate MP's on their sterling effort to educate and set a good example to this nation. Children will now grow up thinking that it's fine to dabble with Cannabis because they could still grow up to be MP's. Corruption and avoiding truths at the expense of others is apparently acceptable too. What's to become of this nation, I ask you?
- Sarah Martin, Meriden, England
'Drunk and stoned' MPs - that explains the noises they make during their so-called debates and may explain why so few turn up for debates on drugs law.
What a hypocritical bunch - they want to punish people for possessing small amounts of cannabis by returning it to class B without good reason, yet so many MPs themselves dabbled with cannabis - seemingly with little harm - when they were younger.
- Alun, Norwich
