Liberal Provocateur

Why is the Lib Dem front bench so afraid of talking sensibly about drugs?

nobody@vox.com(liberal provocateur) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 04:00:49 -0700

How many scientific reports do we need before we can have the "science based" policy that Nick Clegg says we should have ?

Back on the 31st of July the Commons Science Select Committee released their recomended rating system as part of their report on drugs (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/31_07_06_drugsreport.pdf).

Anything from our front bench..? No - Just Nick Clegg giving us more "we need more science" hot air and dithering.

Back in March Sir Menzie Campbell claimed that the report was "a wake-up call. Our current policies are clearly not working. We need a non-partisan debate about the way forward." that was when they were discussing the initial findings

So has the front bench woken up ?

It's been, what 4 or 5 years since the last drafting of party policy on drugs, how many reports from scientists, doctors and MPs have we had in that time ? 6, 7, 8 ?

So where is this debate ? None of the front bench are prepared to stick their neck out, even our "radical" new leader is solumnly silent or tries to avoid the subject - Jock barely getting a sentance from him on the subject in the blogger interview with him, and that was just hot air.

Both Nick Clegg and Menzies Campbell have had ample opportunities to make an issue of this and really show the failings of Tory and Labour party policies, but have failed - when Brian Paddick spoke out on the subject, Nick Clegg was quick to call his sensible and well researched suggestions "too radical" - which is crazy and backward, it was exactly what Nick and the shadow justice minister / home secretary should have been pushing.

It's crazy that a supposedly Liberal party is taking an attitude of "see nothing, hear nothing, say nothing, do nothing" on what is probably the largest social problem in the western world of the late 20th and early 21st century.

I know there are some illiberal lib dems who oppose sensible drug legalisation, but we are a liberal party and proclaim to base policies on common sense, freedom, justice and in this case "science", so WTF is going on ?

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Wallington MP and Councillor are illiberal nimbys

nobody@vox.com(liberal provocateur) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 07:06:36 -0700

Apparently the Home Secretary isn't being Tough On Drugs enough for Tom Brake (LD MP for Wallington), so he sent a letter questioning why it's legal for shops to sell hookah pipes (which apparently can only be used for drugs like opium or skunk, and would be impossible to use, say cherry flavour or turkish tobacco in)..... because we need MORE LAWS CRIMINALISING SOFT DRUGS!!! WILL NOBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN???! .. sorry.

Cllr Jayne McCoy is organising a protest outside the shop and calling for parents ( WILL NOBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN???!... ahem) to come and make themselves heard. Because somebodies child could buy a hemp tote bag or sandals, or a joss stick stand or some oversizzed Rizzlas or THE HORROR a T-Shirt with a Cannabis Sattiva leaf on it, or worse SOME KIND OF SICK JUNKIE HUMOUR on it.

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Nick Clegg in 'not very liberal, actually' shocker!

nobody@vox.com(liberal provocateur) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:23:11 -0700

So Richard Brunstrom, the Chief Constable of North Wales, has published a 30 page report advocating an end to drug prohibition. It builds on his experience, the experience of medical, police, social and scientific experts including the Royal Society, yet Nick Clegg thought it went too far.

Apparently he's "not persuaded that full legalisation is the way forward but what is necessary is that a more logical and evidence-based approach is needed" - hang on! ..we've had 3 reports now suggesting a logical evidence-based, which would be legalisation and regulation.

...perhaps he's waiting for some other approach that is logical, and evidence-based but somehow maintains the status quo of prohibition - perhaps rejig the classification system a bit. God forbid the liberal democrats should fail to sit on the fence on a major issue, even if it's the definition of liberalism. Some of the commenters on the guardian article today about the party are right - the lib dems aren't a socially liberal party after all.

To be honest, with the 2nd leadership election in 2 years, a total lack of socially liberal policies and a total inability to get a social liberal and social democratic message accross to the public and media I might as well join the Green Party - they might not elected either but at least they still have their principles!

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Being tough on the causes of crime and immigration

nobody@vox.com(liberal provocateur) — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 03:51:48 -0700

To actually be tough on the causes of crime and immigration means doing almost exactly the opposite of Tory and New Labour's rhetoric.

Fortunately, even if it's only in one area, the Lib Dems are pushing something powerful through - if you legitimise those who entered the country illegally, but live productive and innocent lives here, then you cut off the lifeblood of the underground and criminal elements.

Taxation, representation, and removal of fear from reprisal turns the oppressed migrants into a powerful force against the system that encourages illegal immigration and illegal workers - the traffickers, the gangs, the dodgy networks organising sham marriages and finding work that pays well below the minimum wage and with no protection for workers.

Odd then that the Labour party that traditionally represented the workers, now targets them instead of the organised criminals that are the real problem.

The same kind of logic works well when applied to other key social problems that the electorate care about - drugs and prostitution : by legitimising and decriminalising, you remove these activities from the hands of organised crime, and can provide statuary protection and regulations, workers rights, safety / quality control, and reduce the resulting petty crime.

Hopefully, the Liberal Democrat party leaders will grow enough backbone to deal with drugs and the sex industry in the same mature, rational and sensible way as immigration. Daily Mail readers won't vote for a liberal democrat we would recognise anyway - why bother trying to get them on board - all we have to do is provide the public with enough facts and start a rational debate, there's no point trying to get the Diana-hugging-darkie-hating-middle-englanders onboard.

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