OUR COY MASTERS

One of the difficulties of democracy has always been the unwillingness
of politicians to come clean with the electorate over their own pasts
- - for fear of paying a price at the ballot box. From Michael
Portillo's gay experiences to Clare Short's adopted child, politicians
have a long history of trying to hide the most human sides of
themselves. In the US last week the Senatorial hopeful Jack Robinson
was forced by his party to quit the race after admitting that he'd
once been arrested - for failure to pay a parking ticket.

No issue brings out the coyness in elected politicians more than
drugs. It seems that, in every case, either they didn't do it, or they
didn't inhale, or they hated it. Those unelected peers in the Lords
seem to be the only ones ever prepared to admit to some enjoyment from
drugs. This is a shame. Lady Runciman's committee has given the
government the chance for a mature debate on cannabis. Even the Daily
Telegraph and the Daily Mail were persuaded, for goodness sake! But up
pops Charles Clarke, minister for doing very little, to deny that the
Government will give any consideration to the issue.

Mr Clarke used to be Neil Kinnock's chief of staff, so he's used to
lost causes. But for him so airily to dismiss the case for
legalisation is sad, wrong and ultimately foolish.