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| Version 7 | Version 8 |
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| Cameron defiant over drug claims | Cameron defiant over drug claims |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Conservative leader David Cameron has refused to deny claims in a biography that he smoked cannabis while he was a pupil at Eton College 25 years ago. | Conservative leader David Cameron has refused to deny claims in a biography that he smoked cannabis while he was a pupil at Eton College 25 years ago. |
| Mr Cameron, 40, admitted he had done things in his past he "should not have done", but insisted politicians were entitled to a "private past". | Mr Cameron, 40, admitted he had done things in his past he "should not have done", but insisted politicians were entitled to a "private past". |
| The book, serialised in the Independent on Sunday, says Mr Cameron was punished after admitting smoking cannabis. | The book, serialised in the Independent on Sunday, says Mr Cameron was punished after admitting smoking cannabis. |
| Mr Cameron, then aged 15, was grounded but several boys were expelled. | Mr Cameron, then aged 15, was grounded but several boys were expelled. |
| The claims appear on the front page of a number of Sunday newspapers. | The claims appear on the front page of a number of Sunday newspapers. |
| Former Conservative Party chairman Lord Tebbit urged Mr Cameron to come clean about any drug use, in order to put the story behind him. | Former Conservative Party chairman Lord Tebbit urged Mr Cameron to come clean about any drug use, in order to put the story behind him. |
| Regret | Regret |
| Speaking outside his home on Sunday morning, Mr Cameron said: "Like many people I did things when I was young that I should not have done, and that I regret. | Speaking outside his home on Sunday morning, Mr Cameron said: "Like many people I did things when I was young that I should not have done, and that I regret. |
| "But I do believe that politicians are entitled to a past that is private, and that remains private, so I won't be making any commentary on what is in the newspapers today." | "But I do believe that politicians are entitled to a past that is private, and that remains private, so I won't be making any commentary on what is in the newspapers today." |
| CANNABIS STATUS: 1982 Cannabis was classified under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 as a Class B drugUnder 18s could be arrested and given a formal warning for possessionUp to 5 years in jail for possessionUp to 14 years in jail for supplying or dealing MPs back Cameron | CANNABIS STATUS: 1982 Cannabis was classified under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 as a Class B drugUnder 18s could be arrested and given a formal warning for possessionUp to 5 years in jail for possessionUp to 14 years in jail for supplying or dealing MPs back Cameron |
| The book - Cameron, The Rise Of The New Conservative, by James Hanning and Francis Elliott - will also be serialised in the Mail on Sunday next month. | The book - Cameron, The Rise Of The New Conservative, by James Hanning and Francis Elliott - 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. |
| Because he had smoked cannabis and not sold it, Mr Cameron was not expelled like several other boys, the book alleges. | Because he had smoked cannabis and not sold it, Mr Cameron was not expelled like several other boys, the book alleges. |
| 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. |
| CANNABIS STATUS: 2006 On 29 January 2004, cannabis was reclassified from a Class B to a Class C drug in the UKUnder 18s can be arrested and given a formal warningUp to 2 years in jail for possessionUp to 14 years in jail for supplying or dealing Police are more likely to confiscate the drug and give a warning, rather than arrest a person for possession class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/6352273.stm">More questions for Cameron | |
| 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". | He told the meeting he had had a "typical student experience". |
| 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. |
| 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 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 health benefits. |
| HAVE YOUR SAY I really don't think someone getting told off while a schoolboy is particularly newsworthy Jason Hood, Nottingham Send us your comments | HAVE YOUR SAY I really don't think someone getting told off while a schoolboy is particularly newsworthy Jason Hood, Nottingham Send us your comments |
| Home Secretary John Reid appeared to agree that politicians were entitled to a private life before elected to office. | Home Secretary John Reid appeared to agree that politicians were entitled to a private life before elected to office. |
| "I think this is one of those 'so what' moments," he told the BBC's Politics Show. | "I think this is one of those 'so what' moments," he told the BBC's Politics Show. |
| "Do we want to get to the level of ensuring that every politician... is a sort of plastic politician produced off some colourless and characterless conveyor belt?" | "Do we want to get to the level of ensuring that every politician... is a sort of plastic politician produced off some colourless and characterless conveyor belt?" |
| Lord Tebbit told BBC News 24: "My advice to him now would be, 'Get it out of the way, get it over with and it will be a seven-day wonder. If you don't, people will keep turning up with another expose'." | Lord Tebbit told BBC News 24: "My advice to him now would be, 'Get it out of the way, get it over with and it will be a seven-day wonder. If you don't, people will keep turning up with another expose'." |