David Cameron and the cannabis controversy
David Cameron hit the headlines at the weekend when allegations were made in a new unofficial biography that he smoked cannabis during his schooldays at Eton College. It is nothing new that a high profile public figure is sniped at by the media, after all, it is one of the great British traits to take pot shots at people in the public eye. What has been refreshing is the sensible reaction from all quarters to the accusations.
His arch rivals in the Labour Party have avoided the temptation to jump on the bandwagon and launch a full-scale character assassination attempt. Cameron even found an unlikely ally in Home Secretary John Reid, who described the situation as one of those "so-what moments". The public seem to believe that it is not a big deal and, even if the rumours are true (Cameron refuses to discuss the matter), his reputation looks likely to come through the controversy unscathed. It might be possible that Britain is coming round to the idea that people in the public eye do have flaws or perhaps drug use (or alleged use in Cameron’s case) just isn’t the faux-pas it once was.
Almost everyone over a certain age is likely to have a skeleton or two in their closet, so it seems highly hypocritical that we, as a nation, crucify public figures at the drop of a hat. The swell of support for Cameron on this issue might reflect a change in attitude towards celebrity-bashing or it might just suggest that British people don’t consider smoking cannabis to be much of a crime. Of course it is a crime (carrying a maximum sentence of two years in prison and an unlimited fine since cannabis was downgraded to a class C illegal drug), and that mustn’t be forgotten, but it is not as if the Tory leader's past included mugging little old ladies or selling crack.
It certainly is not the case that Brits are fed up with knocking people off pedestals. Far from it. Only last month, three women learnt that the hard way. Jade Goody, Jo O’Meara and Danielle Lloyd were given an extremely rough ride after their alleged racist behaviour on Celebrity Big Brother. You could argue that they deserved everything they got (and perhaps they were never on much of a pedestal anyway), but you couldn’t help but feel there were some people enjoying watching their dramatic demises a little bit too much. So the British public still has the tendency to get on its high horse and tear public figures to pieces, but it appears to be more forgiving when it comes to drug-related issues.
The comedian of the moment, Russell Brand, is a former heroin addict, as is presenter Davina McCall. It doesn’t seem to have done their careers too much harm. Another example is Pete Doherty, who is in and out of rehab and court on a regular basis but still has a loyal fan base and continues to sell records. Doherty’s supermodel girlfriend Kate Moss is also living proof that being exposed as a drug user does not kill off your career. It is nice to see that people are being given a second chance, after all, everyone makes mistakes. This level-headed approach to drugs is to be applauded. If everyone who has ever smoked cannabis is run out of their job, the British workforce would be severely depleted. Drugs are not to be encouraged or condoned, but experimenting with them at a young age could be regarded as a rite of passage and suggestions that Cameron was no different to your average 15-year-old boy will not do his reputation any harm.
Cameron’s alleged drug taking is being treated exactly as it should be – as an irrelevant, malicious rumour. Where famous people are concerned, it is all too common for issues to be blown out of proportion and it is extremely encouraging to see that this time round it hasn’t happened. If it is true that David Cameron smoked cannabis as a 15-year-old, it does not mean he should not be where he is today. He has got there on merit and a teenage misdemeanour cannot take that away. He has not lied about it, he has just said that his private life is private and that should be respected. The Labour Party clearly appreciates this and the public does too. Hopefully a line will now be drawn under the matter and Cameron can get on with what he does best. Whether the Labour Party will stick to its current, commendable stance if it starts to feel the heat in the run-up to the next General Election remains to be seen, but it would be a breath of fresh air if the election battle was fought on policies rather than personalities.
An opinion piece by Tom Reed - MSN News Editor
(February 13 2007)
