Hancock admits smoking cannabis as drugs furore overshadows Tory race
THE Health Secretary yesterday admitted to having smoked cannabis and was facing questions over other possible illicit drug use, as revelations that a fellow leadership contender had taken cocaine rocked the Tory campaign to succeed Theresa May.
A source close to Matt Hancock, who is the youngest of the declared candidates, said the 40-year-old had “tried cannabis a few times as a student but has not taken any illicit drugs since”.
Andrea Leadsom, the 56-year-old Leader of the Commons, also declared that she had “smoked weed at university and have never smoked it again since”. Mrs Leadsom stated that she had never taken cocaine or any other class A drugs. But while insisting Mr Hancock had never taken cocaine, the source on his campaign declined to answer whether he had tried any other illicit substances while at Oxford University 20 years ago.
As Health Secretary, Mr Hancock has dealt with issues relating to the prescribing of medicinal cannabis. In April he asked NHS England to “rapidly” assess the barriers preventing “clinically appropriate” access to such drugs.
The admissions came after Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary, admitted to taking cocaine after extracts from a new book claimed that he had done so while a journalist in his 30s.
Confirming the claim in Michael Gove: A Man in a Hurry, Mr Gove said: “I did take drugs. It is something I deeply regret.”
Yesterday some Tory figures privately claimed the admission could damage Mr Gove’s standing among the party’s grassroots – potentially costing him votes if he secured a place in the final two candidates put to the membership. Simon Dudley, the Tory leader of the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead, said: “The use of class A drugs for recreational purposes should not be shrugged off. There is a pyramid of criminality and suffering sustaining this industry. If we want to tackle gang culture, county lines and knife crime there must be accountability from those that drive demand.”
Half a dozen declared contenders for the Tory leadership have now admitted taking drugs in the past.
Mark Harper, the former Chief Whip, who is standing in the contest, said: “I haven’t taken drugs or any illegal substances and I do think it’s fair for candidates seeking to be this country’s next Prime Minister to be expected to answer questions relating to whether or not they have engaged in illegal activity in the past.”
Last month, Jeremy Hunt, the Foreign Secretary, said he once drank a “cannabis lassi” – a drug-infused yogurt drink, while backpacking through India. Days later, Rory Stewart, the International Development Secretary, admitted to making a “very stupid mistake” when he smoked opium on a trip to Iran 15 years ago.
Yesterday, Dominic Raab, another leadership hopeful, who has admitted smoking cannabis as a student, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I think Michael has set out that he made a mistake. It was a long time ago, people will judge it as it is but I do believe in a second chance society.”
He added: “I certainly don’t feel it’s barred him from this race in any way.”
In 2007, Boris Johnson, the frontrunner to become Tory leader, admitted to GQ magazine that he had tried cocaine and cannabis as a teenager at Oxford. “I tried it at university and I remember it vividly. And it achieved no pharmacological, psychotropic or any other effect on me whatsoever.”
Mr Johnson, also talked of “a period before university when I had quite a few” cannabis joints. “It was jolly nice. But apparently it is very different these days. Much stronger.” He added: “I’ve become very illiberal about it. I don’t want my kids to take drugs.”
A spokesman for Sajid Javid, the Home Secretary, said he had “never taken any soft or hard drugs”. Sam Gyimah, the former universities minister, who is standing as a pro-EU candidate, also denied taking any drugs. A spokesman for Esther McVey said: “Esther has never taken cocaine and never would.”
The spokesman declined to confirm whether Ms McVey had smoked cannabis.