MCLEISH URGES RIVALS TO BACK CRACKDOWN ON SUSPECTED DRUG DEALERS

LABOUR yesterday challenged Scotland's other main parties to put civil
liberties concerns aside and back controversial proposals to seize the
assets of suspected drug dealers.

Henry McLeish, the minister for enterprise and lifelong learning,
called on the Scottish National Party, the Liberal Democrats and the
Tories to support planned hardline measures based on current practice
in Ireland and the United States.

His call - while campaigning in the Hamilton South by-election - came
after a Nationalist MSP, Tricia Marwick, described the proposal as a
"knee-jerk reaction" and raised fears that it could infringe on civil
liberties.

Critics are concerned that the sanctions could be imposed without
suspects being convicted.

Labour issued a press release in the name of Bill Tynan, its
by-election candidate, criticising Ms Marwick's comments. That move
prompted Alex Salmond, the SNP leader, to warn rival parties against
turning the drugs issue into a "political football".

However, Mr McLeish pointed to the 102 drug-related deaths in
Strathclyde to date this year. He added: "The people who have died
have had all their rights removed. Other parties have to come full
square behind our position on this."

Mr McLeish's challenge came after it was disclosed that the deputy
justice minister, Angus Mackay, is to travel to Ireland to study its
system.

Powers given to the country's Criminal Assets Bureau enable the civil
courts to strip suspected dealers of their money and property if they
cannot prove that it has been obtained by legal means.

Mr Mackay said yesterday: "The success of the Irish agency is one that
cannot be ignored. There have been more than 100 deaths which are
drugs-related in Strathclyde this year and they died because of the
dealers' trade."

Mr McLeish said the executive had been impressed by the success of the
policies in Ireland and the US.

He said: "In Ireland and America, if the police have good cause to
believe that a person's wealth is based on drug-dealing, they can get
a court order to confiscate without conviction.

"This is not just a gimmick. It's a serious business of making sure we
have got the toughest drug laws."

Despite Ms Marwick's reservations, Mr Salmond indicated that the SNP
could support the measures if they met criteria demanded by the
European Convention on Human Rights.

But he condemned the criticism of Ms Marwick, saying: "One of the
things that's bedevilling the drugs issue at the moment is the
starting again of using drugs as some sort of political football
between the political parties.

"I think it's vitally important that all politicians, regardless of
party, agree to look at ideas such as this one and the many ideas we
have put forward."