LABOUR DELIGHT AS MO BEATS BACKLASH OVER DOPE

LABOUR chiefs are secretly delighted that Mo Mowlam's drugs past has been
revealed, it emerged yesterday.

They believe by being the first Cabinet Minister to admit to smoking
cannabis, she has taken the heat out of the issue for other politicians who
may have done the same.

Insiders reckon that the high-profile politician - in charge of pushing
through the Government's anti-drugs policies - was the only minister who
could admit to puffing pot and get away with it.

Mowlam was forced to admit at the weekend that she had smoked cannabis
while a student in the 1970s.

At first it was feared the revelation would damage Mowlam and her new
anti-drugs drive.

But the Tories backed off from calling for her job - and the Lib-Dems said
they hoped it would prompt a sensible debate about drug use. A Labour
insider said yesterday: "This was always going to happen sooner or later.
"The minister asked was going to be faced with saying no if they genuinely
had never taken drugs, lying if they had, trying to dodge the question or
doing what Mo has done and tell the truth.

"It is hard to think of any minister other than Mo who would not have been
damaged. "But because Mo is Mo, and because of her reputation for honesty,
it is far more likely to be accepted by the public.

"She is also one of the politicians who young people can identify with. If
she says she tried it but didn't like it and would urge people not to
dabble with it, she is more likely to be listened to."

Shadow Cabinet Office minister Andrew Lansley said: "We are not interested
in the actions of Mo Mowlam many years ago. What matters is that this
Government makes clear that using any illegal drugs is unacceptable." back
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