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| Ex-minister in call to decriminalise all drugs | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A former minister with responsibility for drugs policy has called for the decriminalisation of all drugs. | |
| Bob Ainsworth, who oversaw the issue at the Home Office in Tony Blair's government, said the approach of successive administrations had failed. | Bob Ainsworth, who oversaw the issue at the Home Office in Tony Blair's government, said the approach of successive administrations had failed. |
| The Labour MP for Coventry North East, also a former defence secretary, said the current policy left the drugs trade in the hands of criminal gangs. | |
| Ministers have insisted they remain opposed to decriminalisation. | |
| Media backlash | Media backlash |
| Mr Ainsworth is the most senior politician so far to publicly call for all drugs, including heroin and cocaine, to be decriminalised. | |
| He said he realised while he was a minister in the Home Office in charge of drugs policy that the so-called war on drugs could not be won. | |
| Mr Ainsworth has called for a strict system of legal regulation under which different drugs would either be prescribed by doctors or sold under licence. | Mr Ainsworth has called for a strict system of legal regulation under which different drugs would either be prescribed by doctors or sold under licence. |
| The Labour backbencher said successive governments had been frightened to raise the issue because they feared a media backlash. | The Labour backbencher said successive governments had been frightened to raise the issue because they feared a media backlash. |
| But he predicted in the end ministers would have no option but to adopt a different approach and consider decriminalisation. | |
| He said: "Politicians and the media need to engage in a genuine and grown up debate about alternatives to prohibition, so that we can build a consensus based on delivering the best outcomes for our children and communities. Prohibition has failed to protect us. | He said: "Politicians and the media need to engage in a genuine and grown up debate about alternatives to prohibition, so that we can build a consensus based on delivering the best outcomes for our children and communities. Prohibition has failed to protect us. |
| Billions spent | Billions spent |
| "Leaving the drugs market in the hands of criminals causes huge and unnecessary harms to individuals, communities and entire countries, with the poor the hardest hit." | "Leaving the drugs market in the hands of criminals causes huge and unnecessary harms to individuals, communities and entire countries, with the poor the hardest hit." |
| Mr Ainsworth said billions of pounds was being spent "without preventing the wide availability of drugs". | Mr Ainsworth said billions of pounds was being spent "without preventing the wide availability of drugs". |
| "It is time to replace our failed war on drugs with a strict system of legal regulation, to make the world a safer, healthier place, especially for our children," he said. | "It is time to replace our failed war on drugs with a strict system of legal regulation, to make the world a safer, healthier place, especially for our children," he said. |
| "We must take the trade away from organised criminals and hand it to the control of doctors and pharmacists." | "We must take the trade away from organised criminals and hand it to the control of doctors and pharmacists." |
| BBC political correspondent Norman Smith says it seems highly unlikely there will be any imminent change in drugs policy, despite Mr Ainsworth's intervention. | BBC political correspondent Norman Smith says it seems highly unlikely there will be any imminent change in drugs policy, despite Mr Ainsworth's intervention. |
| All three main parties at Westminster remain opposed to decriminalisation. | |
| Last week Home Secretary Theresa May said the government's drugs strategy would remain focused on rehabilitation and reducing supply. | Last week Home Secretary Theresa May said the government's drugs strategy would remain focused on rehabilitation and reducing supply. |