spliff

so once again the story of david cameron’s drug daze at eton rears its head.
david cameron is right that politicians are entitled to a private past. however a case can be made that the gloves should come off when you are the leader of a party, especially when you may just have a chance of becoming the leader of the next government.

no one expects politicians to be squeaky clean, but we would like to see a certain level of honesty, particularly those who are planning on leading.
i don’t think a youthful experiment with a drug is something that should have you barred from politics, or prevent you from becoming the prime minister (you only have to look to bill clinton to see that a little bit of experimentation doesn’t stop you from becoming the leader of the free world). after all we do not stop smokers or drinkers from leading us.

the reason it is an issue is that cameron might be in a position where he will be setting policy on questions of youth offenders and drugs policy.
being an old etonian means that cameron has come from a very well to do background, no state school for him, no living on council estates for david cameron. yet for all the ease and comfort of a well off upbringing he still felt the need to experiment with drugs (allegedly).
so perhaps when the question of youth and drugs rears its head in parliament david cameron will be able to listen with a sympathetic ear, because he too has had a puff or two.
perhaps david cameron will understand that not all users of drugs are evil people, that the use of recreational drugs do not turn people into slavering maniacs.
the likelihood is that he will continue very much in the vein of previous tories and see this as a malicious disease that needs to be wiped out, and all offenders banged up on her majesty’s pleasure. of course ignoring his youthful mistake.

even worse is that it is set to be that question that will plague him throughout his career. he may as well, as lord tebbit has advised (and who would have thought i would ever agree with him!) say yes or no to the allegations and get on with the rest of his career.
i doubt there are that many people who are going to change their votes at the next general election based on the fact that he may have had a few spliffs. he might find that the fact he can own up to a mistake and has moved on to achieve his ambitions not only serves to win doubters on to his side, but also provides a powerful example to others that drugs can be left behind.

meantime i fear it is as the old rugby song proclaimed.
“it is the rich that get all the pleasure and the poor get all the blame.”