The ‘War on Drugs’ has failed

By Bob Ainsworth MP / @BobAinsworthMP

In Westminster Hall, parliament will debate drugs policy for the first time since 2008. In the wake of the coalition’s Drug Strategy, I will be calling for a grown up debate on Drugs Policy. Prohibition has failed and the ‘War on Drugs’ has failed. The evidence is strewn across the poppy fields of Afghanistan, the jungles of Columbia and the streets of our major cities in the United Kingdom. We’ve created the ‘Lucky’ Luciano’s and Pablo Escobar’s of this world and this has to stop.

But our political culture doesn’t allow for an honest and open discussion about drugs policy. As soon as a politician mentions the words decriminalisation or legalisation; the press scream blue murder, colleagues move to distance themselves from you and your political opponents sharpen the knife. The words had barely passed my lips before my party briefed against me and called me ‘irresponsible’.

In all fairness, I know that they have to do this. There isn’t the space in this country to have a rational debate on this issue. I’m not the only one who has experienced this. When he was a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee, David Cameron supported the things that I have called for. During his leadership campaign he was attacked for it and although he probably still believes in the principles of that report, he has had to distance himself from it as a result of his front bench ambitions.

I had the same problems as a Drugs Minister. I was bound by collective responsibility and thought it best to work within the confines of the government’s policy. We did have success. We invested in Drugs education, worked with nightclubs to install water fountains which saved lives and opened the door to heroin prescription. But this wasn’t nearly enough.

The government has said that its recent Drugs Strategy provides a radical new agenda on drugs policy. It doesn’t. It has moved in the wrong direction by cutting investment in drug treatment services and undoing much of the work that Labour did in government.

So I am calling for an open and frank discussion on drugs policy. We should consider all options. For too long, we have dismissed the legalisation and decriminalisation because it will open the door to carnage on our streets without any evidence to support that. We need an independent, evidence-based review, exploring all the policy options that are on the table. This has been supported by the likes of Peter Lilley, Tom Brake and Paul Flynn. This shows that there is some political will amongst all the political parties in Westminster to discuss this issue in a cross-party and rational way, and I hope that my calls today can build on that.

So I say to every Labour Party member who reads this today, watch the debate in Westminster Hall with an open mind. I understand how difficult the issue is. When I was Drugs Minister and Secretary of State for Defence, I saw the devastation caused by drugs. However, I also know that prohibition isn’t helping, the ‘War on Drugs’ is failing and it is time for some pragmatism rather than dogma on drugs.