Lynda won't judge Jacqui over drugs

3:42pm Friday 20th July 2007

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STOURBRIDGE MP Lynda Waltho will not be joining the growing ranks of politicians owning up to smoking dope.

Mrs Waltho says smoking of any sort has never been on her radar having lost relatives to lung cancer.

But she has no issues with Home Secretary and former Hagley school teacher Jacqui Smith MP, who is among several cabinet members to admit drug taking while at college.

Lynda said: "MPs are real people who have had a life, I wont judge Jacqui she experimented when she was young and she regrets it."

The Redditch MP, who was head of economics at Haybridge High School in the village, confessed to taking cannabis during her student days in Oxford.

The revelation came shortly after new Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who promoted Jacqui to the top job, announced plans to review the classification of the drug.

Cannabis is currently a class C drug, Ms Smith will be at the heart of the review but she says her experience will not affect her judgement on the issue.

During an interview with the BBC, Ms Smith said: "I did break the law, I was wrong, drugs are wrong.

"I think in some ways I have learnt my lesson and I have a responsibility as Home Secretary now to make sure we put in place the laws and the support and information to make sure we bring cannabis use down."

Among other leading members of the government to admit they smoked spliffs in their youth are Chancellor Alistair Darling, Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman and Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly.