FAVOURITE HINTS AT LEGALISING CANNABIS

MICHAEL PORTILLO gave the strongest signal yesterday that he was personally
in favour of legalising the use of cannabis.

In an interview published hours before the first Tory leadership ballot, Mr
Portillo was quoted as acknowledging that a strong enough case had been
made for dropping criminal sanctions for using the drug.

His aides later stressed that he was indicating there was a strong case for
debating the issue of legalisation rather than announcing a firm policy
decision.

But Mr Portillo courted controversy when he told the Evening Standard
newspaper: "I think a strong enough case has been made for legalisation on
the basis that marijuana is a drug that can be compared with alcohol and
tobacco - and on the basis that kids are buying these things, and buying
them from people who are involved in a very dangerous drugs trade,
simultaneously.

"We have to look at this and I would propose that the party sit down, take
evidence and reach a conclusion. And I hope that we will be seen, in doing
that, as being a party that is open to new thinking."

Last week, when he appeared on BBC television's Question Time, Mr Portillo
repeatedly refused to say whether he believed in legalisation, saying only
that the issue was "finely balanced".

A spokesman for the shadow chancellor said yesterday: "Michael's position
is that there is a case for a debate and therefore what he said is
consistent with that."

A Tory Party source said that Virginia Bottomley, the former Cabinet
minister, asked Mr Portillo about the issue at the leadership hustings last
night. Mr Portillo refused to state whether he was for or against legalisation.

Last week Peter Lilley, the former Conservative deputy leader, and a strong
supporter of Mr Portillo, became the first senior Conservative to call
publicly for cannabis to be legalised.

His proposal that the drug should be sold through government-licensed
outlets was widely seen as paving the way for Mr Portillo - who has called
for the party to be open to new ideas - to propose a debate of
decriminalising cannabis.

Two of the other contenders in the leadership election - David Davis and
Iain Duncan Smith - made clear they did not support legalising soft drugs.

A spokesman for Mr Davis said the candidate believed there should be a
debate on the issue.