LIB DEM LEADER'S DRUG CALL BACKED

Civil libertarians and drugs law reformers last night welcomed a public
commitment by the Liberal Democrats' new leader, Charles Kennedy, to
campaign for a royal commission to rethink the government's entire
anti-drugs strategy.

The charity Release called it "a defining moment in the development of
British drug policy", while one of several vocal Labour campaigners, Paul
Flynn MP, congratulated Mr Kennedy on being "caught in possession of an
intelligent policy on drugs".

But Mr Kennedy's symbolic gesture towards a more libertarian social agenda
was condemned as "an unbelievable first commitment" by the Conservative
home affairs spokesman, Ann Widdecombe.

Barely a month ago, government ministers led by Jack Cunningham endorsed
Tony Blair and Jack Straw's emphatic rejection of calls for the
decriminalisation of cannabis for medical purposes. The reform had been
urged by more than 100 MPs of all parties, including a handful of Tories.

Mr Blair knows the issue is a minefield and has taken a populist hardline
view that the education of young people against the dangers of drug abuse
must be coupled with a still harder line against dealers. The home
secretary, Mr Straw, took his own teenage son to a police station after he
was caught in petty drugs dealing.

But Mr Kennedy believes he may have caught a changing public mood that is
not confined to the young.

In an exclusive interview with the Observer, Mr Kennedy, who beat Simon
Hughes to Paddy Ashdown's vacant post last week, called for "a mature and
adult" debate on drugs - not just on cannabis.

He said there was "hardly a family in the land" that was not worried about
the drugs problem. On Radio 4 he added a complaint that is central to his
new leadership style, that parliament needs to offer "an orchestra of
voices" in political debate, and is failing to do so on a range of issues.

The Lib Dems have backed a royal commission since the mid-90s, but fought
shy of its implications under Mr Ashdown, whose cautious views on drugs are
reflected by senior colleagues.

Mr Kennedy is not personally backing decriminalisation, even for people
suffering pain from arthritis or multiple sclerosis, let alone
legalisation. What he wants is a rounded look at anti-drugs education,
enforcement policies, sentencing (which varies greatly), and the views of
experts, including senior police officers, some of whom believe the war
against drugs has been lost.

Last night Mr Flynn, MP for Newport West, said that Mr Blair was in danger
of leaving office with the drugs situation worse than when he came in -
much like every other prime minister in the 25 years since the legalised
use of heroin by registered addicts was reversed in deference to US pressure.

No fewer than 102 MPs, including eight Tories, signed a Commons motion
urging the decriminalisation of cannabis for medicinal purposes this year,
after a Lords report had suggested a similar move, along with greater
research. Ministers are reluctant to take such a step on "anecdotal
evidence" and insist that programmes which have previously failed to check
the rising tide of drugs abuse can be made to work this time.

Mike Goodman, the director of Release, which calls for the legalisation of
cannabis, called Mr Kennedy's intervention an "enormous moment in the case
for changing the drug laws".

"For a leader of one of the three main political parties to be making this
statement now represents the drug debate coming of age," Mr Goodman said.
"Now is the time to talk and consider not only the case to reform the drug
laws, but how a reform system could be put into practice."

WHERE THE PARTIES STAND

Labour - hard-line

* In its 1997 manifesto, Labour promised to appoint a drugs tsar to
coordinate policy across Whitehall and symbolise its determination to stamp
out what was described as "the vicious circle of drugs and crime (that)
wrecks lives and threatens communities"

* Keith Hellawell later appointed, education programmes launched, new
targets set for drug-use reduction; drug prevention agency set up; seized
assets of dealers re-directed into the battle against drugs; minimum
sentence of seven years for third-time Class A drug traffickers

* Extra pounds 217m to be spent in the next two years

* Clare Short, international development minister, caused furore when she
publicly broke ranks to suggest legalisation of cannabis might be considered

Conservatives - mainly hard-line

* 1997 manifesto called drugs "a menace to the very fabric of our society"

* In Opposition, they endorsed Labour's coordinated approach, a mixture of
education and crackdown

* But a small group of libertarian Conservatives, including Hague allies
Alan Duncan, and David Prior, MP, now chief executive at Tory HQ, have
supported moves to decriminalise some drugs

Liberal Democrats - seek wider debate

* 1995 party conference endorsed a call for a royal commission against the
advice of the leadership

* 1997 manifesto stressed support for police and customs to stop drugs
coming into Britain, but also presented royal commission plan blandly as
"developing policies to tackle the drugs problem at its roots"

* In1999 economic spokesman, Vincent Cable, backed "current consensus on
resisting decriminalisation"