New sleaze and panic politics

Trembling with tabloid-induced fear, the politicians panicked and banned a drug. It was only in April when the Redtops screamed horror about two deaths from a new designer drug. Cowardly politicians of all parties bowed to an irrational argument forgetting that every ban on any drug increased its use.

Now we know the truth, toxicology tests have shown that two teenagers whose deaths were linked to mephedrone had not taken the drug. The  government banned the "legal high" in April, making it a Class B drug.

Former chief drugs adviser Prof David Nutt said the test results undermined the reasons behind the ban. The tabloids will not report tomorrow that Mephedrone  is innocent with the giant headlines that created the scare.

The now poodle leadership of the advisory committee defend the ban. another committee member Eric Carlin said the decision to ban the drug should be "revisited" in light of the findings, and the "public health consequences" of the ban needed to be considered.

Prof Nutt, who was sacked by the then Home Secretary Alan Johnson in October 2009, said the findings were "embarrassing" for the government, media and police.

As always UK drug policy is evidence-free drivel.

New sleaze?

The Coalition Government is rapidly spinning from novelty to notoriety.

A new expenses scandal involving the angelic David Laws and £40,000 is a monumental embarrassment. It cannot be easily spun into an innocent error. Will this the first chance for a constituency to recall its MP?

In Wales the Tories are desperate to stop a Conservative councillor Chris Smart from becoming a member of the Welsh Assembly. Chris is no intellectual giant. He is  an embarrassment waiting to happen. He is in line to take over the seat on the regional list now that siting MP Alun Cairns is an MP. But the Welsh Tories have  instructed Alun to  remain an AM. He said he will stay on  until the election next year, but will not draw his assembly salary.

That keeps Chris out. But it does raise the tricky problem that Alun will be doing two full-time jobs. That will not go down well.

Another double-jobber is threatening more embarrassment. Special constable David Davies (aka MP for Monmouth) is lusting after the job of chair of the Welsh Select Committee. It's been allocated to the Tories and none of the other 7 Tories seem interested.

David is an anti-devolution zealot at odds with his party chums in the Assembly and in the Coalition. His attempts to manipulate the committee would be a serious embarrassment to Cameron and Nick Bourne.

Even Iain Dale thought the Tories' attempt to boycott  Question Time was daft. How dare they try to dictate who speaks for Labour? Perhaps Cameron became a little unhinged by the revolt by David Davies et al against tax rises.

Welcome to Government!

Old trick.

Fresher MP Tristram Hunt impresses with this comment on David Miliband's website

'It is the oldest trick in the book: decry the past in order to define the present. Ever since the scribes of the Renaissance branded the Middle Ages as ‘The Dark Ages’, propagandists have deployed history to codify the future. You rubbish the past as a lost opportunity of waste, indecision and stupidity. And you celebrate the present as a blessed release from such hopelessness.

Today, the Tories are at it with a vengeance. Beginning with David Cameron’s extraordinarily ungracious response to the Queen’s Speech debate, the Tory frontbenches and back have been on a dedicated mission to decry all the achievements of Labour’s 13 years in power. Forget the National Minimum Wage; forget the Sure Start centres; forget the transformation of the NHS; forget the expansion in student numbers; forget the urban renaissance; forget the pioneering Climate Change legislation and civil partnerships. Instead, just focus on the last two years of global financial crisis and impose that back on the previous period.'

Comments

[Kay Tie]

"A new expenses scandal involving the angelic David Laws and £40,000 is a monumental embarassment. It cannot be easily spun into an innocent error. Will this the first chance for a constituency to recall its MP?"

Doesn't look good but there are two sides to every story and I have only heard the one side. Actually, I just read his statement and it puts a reasonable case forward. Could be spin, of course.

Whatever happens it can't be as bad as hearing a Glaswegian MP explaining why he claimed stationery payments to staff..

[John]

So again all political parties have been led by the moral hypocrisy of the redtops re mephodrone.The Police seriously overstepped the mark in their pronouncments over linking the drug to the deaths. Really we should have an enquiry as to why our government continues to criminalise millions of our young citizens for taking a drug less dangerous than alcohol. Moreover by banning this drug they actually increase any dangers by increasing the possibility of contaminents.

Even though I am nearly 50 I love to go to raves and have a dance. I find mixing with young people energising and stimulating. They are very welcoming and open to what must be to them an old man twice their age.

They almost all do some sort of illegal drug...I hasten to add my drug of choice is organic cidre probably far more dangerous than many of the drugs they use.Only last night we were talking about the mephadrone ban. Prices have shot up from around £10 a gram to last nights asking price of £30 although finally it sold at £20. The pills that were for sale were £2 but containing so little active ingredients that many have to be taken to get a "buzz"It is only a matter of time before the huge profits to be made from the mephadrone ban start to affect quality.

This image of drug crazed youngsters close to death which is the world the tabloids scare us into believing is just not true.For the most part these young adults are just having a good time hurtung noone. I find the atmosphere at these outdoor underground festivals to be open and friendly.

I wish amybe some of our politicians could go along to one of them and see that for the most the use of illegal drugs is no big deal, WHere it does get dangerous is when drugs of unkown strength and adulternats are peddaled but this is what our Governemnt by its polices encourages.

[Paul Flynn]

Thanks John. I agree with all that. I have been along to tese festivals. My singing was not a hit.