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| Version 6 | Version 7 |
|---|---|
| Cameron 'smoked drugs at school' | Cameron 'smoked drugs at school' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Conservative leader David Cameron took drugs while he was a pupil at Eton College, a new biography has claimed. | Conservative leader David Cameron took drugs while he was a pupil at Eton College, a new biography has claimed. |
| The book, serialised in the Independent on Sunday, says Mr Cameron, then aged 15, was one of several boys caught smoking cannabis at Eton. | The book, serialised in the Independent on Sunday, says Mr Cameron, then aged 15, was one of several boys caught smoking cannabis at Eton. |
| He confessed and was grounded. Some of the other boys were expelled. | He confessed and was grounded. Some of the other boys were expelled. |
| A Conservative Party spokesman said: "David has always maintained politicians have a right to a private life before they come into politics." | A Conservative Party spokesman said: "David has always maintained politicians have a right to a private life before they come into politics." |
| He pointed out that the alleged incident happened almost 25 years ago. Mr Cameron, now 40, has so far made no comment. | He pointed out that the alleged incident happened almost 25 years ago. Mr Cameron, now 40, has so far made no comment. |
| Honesty | Honesty |
| The book - Cameron, The Rise Of The New Conservative - will also be serialised in the Mail on Sunday next month. | The book - Cameron, The Rise Of The New Conservative - will also be serialised in the Mail on Sunday next month. |
| Both papers report that school authorities called the police to investigate drug use among the pupils. | Both papers report that school authorities called the police to investigate drug use among the pupils. |
| On the whole I've always thought that it was better to be pretty honest about things Lord TebbitFormer Conservative chairman | On the whole I've always thought that it was better to be pretty honest about things Lord TebbitFormer Conservative chairman |
| Because he had smoked cannabis and not sold it, Mr Cameron was not expelled or suspended like several other boys, the book claims. | |
| Instead, he was fined, grounded for two weeks and given the school's traditional punishment of a "Georgic" - copying out hundreds of lines of Latin poetry, according to the book. | Instead, he was fined, grounded for two weeks and given the school's traditional punishment of a "Georgic" - copying out hundreds of lines of Latin poetry, according to the book. |
| Throughout his leadership campaign in 2005, Mr Cameron declined to answer questions about drug taking when they were put to candidates. | Throughout his leadership campaign in 2005, Mr Cameron declined to answer questions about drug taking when they were put to candidates. |
| He repeatedly stressed he had a right to a private past and refused to answer them. | He repeatedly stressed he had a right to a private past and refused to answer them. |
| Mr Cameron was initially asked at a fringe meeting at the 2005 Conservative party conference if he had ever taken drugs. | Mr Cameron was initially asked at a fringe meeting at the 2005 Conservative party conference if he had ever taken drugs. |
| He told the meeting he had had a "typical student experience", later adding: "I did lots of things before I came into politics which I shouldn't have done. We all did." | He told the meeting he had had a "typical student experience", later adding: "I did lots of things before I came into politics which I shouldn't have done. We all did." |
| Later that same year on BBC One's Question Time, he said everybody was allowed to "err and stray" in their past. | Later that same year on BBC One's Question Time, he said everybody was allowed to "err and stray" in their past. |
| He told the audience he would not bow to a "media-driven agenda" to "dig into politicians' private lives". | He told the audience he would not bow to a "media-driven agenda" to "dig into politicians' private lives". |
| 'Not relevant' | 'Not relevant' |
| Former Conservative Party chairman Lord Tebbit told BBC News 24 the claims would not do Mr Cameron much good with Tory activists. | Former Conservative Party chairman Lord Tebbit told BBC News 24 the claims would not do Mr Cameron much good with Tory activists. |
| "On the whole, I've always thought that it was better to be pretty honest about things," he said. | "On the whole, I've always thought that it was better to be pretty honest about things," he said. |
| People ready to throw stones on this issue should be aware of the glass houses of their friends, relatives or colleagues Martin Barnes Drugscope | People ready to throw stones on this issue should be aware of the glass houses of their friends, relatives or colleagues Martin Barnes Drugscope |
| "Because, sooner or later the truth of the matter tends to come out, and it's always better to have brought it out yourself rather than have somebody else bring it out." | "Because, sooner or later the truth of the matter tends to come out, and it's always better to have brought it out yourself rather than have somebody else bring it out." |
| Conservative spokesman on Rural Affairs, Peter Ainsworth, said he saw little relevance in the story. | Conservative spokesman on Rural Affairs, Peter Ainsworth, said he saw little relevance in the story. |
| "I frankly don't give a monkey's... it's simply not relevant to what we're doing today with the Conservative Party or to British politics." | "I frankly don't give a monkey's... it's simply not relevant to what we're doing today with the Conservative Party or to British politics." |
| However, the Mail on Sunday's political editor, Simon Walters, told BBC Radio Five Live some voters would want reassurances that Mr Cameron would not legalise cannabis. | However, the Mail on Sunday's political editor, Simon Walters, told BBC Radio Five Live some voters would want reassurances that Mr Cameron would not legalise cannabis. |
| Last month, Mr Cameron said he opposed making cannabis legal but would be "relaxed" about legalising it for medicinal use if there was evidence of its health benefits. | Last month, Mr Cameron said he opposed making cannabis legal but would be "relaxed" about legalising it for medicinal use if there was evidence of its health benefits. |
| More than 10 million adults in the UK have used cannabis, according to drugs charity, Drugscope. | More than 10 million adults in the UK have used cannabis, according to drugs charity, Drugscope. |
| Its chief executive, Martin Barnes, said cannabis was not harmless but blaming a generation who used the drug at some time "serves no useful purpose". | Its chief executive, Martin Barnes, said cannabis was not harmless but blaming a generation who used the drug at some time "serves no useful purpose". |
| "People ready to throw stones on this issue should be aware of the glass houses of their friends, relatives or colleagues," he said. | "People ready to throw stones on this issue should be aware of the glass houses of their friends, relatives or colleagues," he said. |