Senior MPs disagree with Starmer over softer drug law

SEVEN of Sir Keir Starmer’s top team have backed recommendations to stop prosecuting people caught with illegal drugs, despite Labour’s opposition to softening the law.

The shadow ministers supported recommendations from the Labour Campaign for Drug Policy Reform, which called for the party to “move away from a punishment-based model” and “divert people found in personal possession of drugs out of the criminal justice system”.

Sir Keir Starmer, a former director of public prosecutions, has always said he does not support schemes to soften the approach to drug possession, but his stance is controversial within his party.

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London mayor, is running a “drugs commission” to assess whether cannabis should be legalised, and has privately supported schemes to relax prosecutions of young offenders.

David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, has backed a Royal Commission to reassess all drugs laws, which he said were “disproportionately criminalising working class young men”.

Seven shadow ministers are listed as supporters of reform on the campaign’s website, including Jess Phillips, Stephen Kinnock and Tonia Antoniazzi.

The list also includes Jeff Smith, Kerry McCarthy, Ruth Cadbury, Alex Sobel and Sir Keir’s parliamentary private secretary, Sharon Hodgson.

The site says they agree that “Labour in government should take a different approach, implementing drug policies which prioritise evidence, public health and harm reduction”.

Sir Keir has long opposed such a change in policy, arguing that he had “seen too much damage” from drugs in his former role at the Crown Prosecution Service.

He has ruled out all liberalisation of drugs laws under a Labour government and does not support “diversion schemes” or similar moves to decriminalise cannabis and other drugs.