All this reporting of Cabinet Ministers smoking dope 25 yrs ago- Does it really, really matter now?

[tiredemma]

Does it? I know that as they are in high positions, they shouldnt really participate in illegal activities now- but why all the fuss about something done at uni 25 yrs ago?

God knows

If only people who had never had a spliff were in office surely one would get all the tory boy squares only

hasn't everyone had a spliff as a teenager ?

I imagine there will be some sniggers if she participates in a Joint Commission.

no it doesnt matter - nice seeing them squirm though

I could not give a stuff TBH.

If it were last week it would be different, but 25 years ago. FGS.

Agree eith CountessDracula. If you ruled out anyone who has tried dope in 60s and 70s then there were would be a very limited profile of people to put in the Cabinet.

Cannabis now is usually in a much stronger and more potent form than a few years ago. Smoking it now is a very differnt experience and has much bigger long term risks.

definitely doesn't matter. As others have said, bet loads of politicians have done it, at least she was honest about it.

I don't think so. Surely at least 50% of people who have been to university must have smoked something and all of us must have been out of it on alcohol at some time or other.

As long as it is not a feature of their life today I am happy.

I agree- cant quite see why its headline news.

We moan when politician aren't ridiculously perfect and when they are, we accuse them of being out of touch.

I'd be worried if she hadn't tried it tbh.

Speaking as her contemporary puffer, that would be a no.

God, I'd hate it if my student (or later) indiscretions were dragged up

Of course it doesn't matter!
What makes me laugh is that apparently she had to make the statement because a newspaper was going to 'out' her. As what exactly? A student who did what almost every other student of her generation did.

I think it's a shame that she felt compelled to say she regretted it. I bet she doesn't!

If a smoke 25 years ago is still having an effect now that must have been some STRONG stuff!!

People will be queuing up in the lobbies to ask Jacqui Spliff where she got hold of it!

Insane. Top story as well. Bonkerloon.

I once had a glass of wine and a old puff you know and that was only oooo a month ago.

Fecks sake. This sort of scaremongering that makes everyone panic about drugs and makes the whole thing worse.

I read this and thought sfw too.

one week it's her cleavage, next a joint...are the press setting themselves little "get jacqui" tasks?

Maybe it's leading to some policy change on soft drugs? You know softening the public up by showing that even responsible, high-achieving people have used it in the past.

I'd bet my bottom pound that the "average" journalist reporting these so-called "stories" is smoking more than "just" dope even now - but where is the story in that?

I think it is laughable that there is this media outrage. Stop the presses - Student has a smoke.

It's hardly as if they all have bongs under their seats in the House of Commons.

But what really makes me laugh is that while trying to make this non-story into a national outcry, half the media are slipping to the loos for a line of coke.

I mean, they should just give it up. They tried to incite a frenzy but we just don't care when people did daft things a quarter of a century ago.

However, they should feel free to try to whip us up into a pitchfork brandishing mob if they discover a politician who used to beat old ladies to death, or sold heroin to 5 yr olds. Or indeed uncover ANY actual story of interest.