Cameron asked by Ed Balls if he ever took cocaine

Ed Balls asks David Cameron if he ever took cocaine amid Commons drugs row

Labour try to turn a debate about the Rev Paul Flowers’s drug use against David Cameron by raising questions about whether he had ever taken illegal substances





Ed Balls asks David Cameron if he ever took cocaine amid Commons drugs row

Ed Balls asks David Cameron if he ever took cocaine amid Commons drugs row Photo: AP/REX







James Kirkup
By James Kirkup

9:43PM GMT 20 Nov 2013







Labour tried to turn a Commons row about the Rev Paul Flowers’s drug use on Wednesday against David Cameron by raising questions about whether the Prime Minister had ever taken illegal substances.


During angry exchanges in the Commons, Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor, heckled Mr Cameron by asking him whether he had ever taken cocaine. Mr Cameron did not respond.


The heckling followed a row that left Mr Cameron apologising for suggesting that a senior Labour MP had taken “mind-altering substances”.


The Conservatives are keen to highlight links between Labour and Mr Flowers, the former Co-op Bank chairman who has admitted using Class A drugs.


During Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Cameron aimed several drug-related jokes at Labour MPs.


Related Articles
PM accuses MP of taking 'mind altering substances'
20 Nov 2013
Sketch: Bantz and lolz at PMQs
20 Nov 2013
David Cameron accuses Labour of cover-up over crack cocaine bank chief
20 Nov 2013


First, he mocked Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, over his tax plans, saying: “That is not a policy; it is a night out with the Rev Flowers.”

Later in the session, Michael Meacher, a Labour former minister, asked Mr Cameron about Britain’s levels of business investment, which he said were low by international standards.

Mr Cameron replied: “I can only conclude that the right honourable gentleman, too, has been on a night out on the town with the Rev Flowers and that the mind-altering substances have taken effect.”

Mr Meacher protested to John Bercow, the Speaker, suggesting that Mr Cameron’s “unjustifiable, rude and offensive phrase” was unparliamentary.

Amid the noise of shouting from MPs of all sides, Mr Balls was heard shouting at Mr Cameron: “Have you ever taken cocaine?” Because Mr Balls was seated while he spoke, his comments were not recorded in Hansard, the official record of Commons debates.

But Commons sources confirmed that the Shadow Chancellor had shouted the question. Mr Cameron did not respond to Mr Balls, but apologised to Mr Meacher.

He said: “I made a light-hearted remark — if it caused any offence, I will happily withdraw it. I think it is very important that we can have a little bit of light-hearted banter, and a sense of humour on all sides.”

Downing Street later refused to comment on Mr Balls’s question or say whether Mr Cameron had ever used illegal drugs.

Ever since he stood for the Conservative leadership in 2005, Mr Cameron has faced questions about whether he ever took cocaine as a young man. He has consistently refused to answer those questions directly. During the leadership election, other candidates publicly stated that they had never used Class A drugs. Mr Cameron declined to give a similar statement, saying: “I did lots of things before I came into politics which I shouldn’t have done. We all did.”

A biography of the Prime Minister published in 2007 also reported that Mr Cameron was almost expelled from Eton College for smoking cannabis.

Again, he has declined to comment directly on that report.

Mr Balls is one of the most energetic hecklers in the Commons, and is understood to have directed the same question about cocaine at George Osborne, the Chancellor.

In 2005, Labour’s Dennis Skinner was banned from the Commons for a day for comments about Mr Osborne and cocaine

===============================

It's all yahboo Politics these says , Cameron is reported to be ditching "green" policies .

ed balls talks it.  

Listening to the insane name calling, cackling, shouting and animal noises echoing through the commons during debates and Prime Ministers Question Time I'm of the firm opinion there's a lot more addictive products on sale in the common's bar than duty free alcohol.

I remember listening to one of the first radio transmissions of Commons debates in the 1970s and being appalled at the behaviour of some MPs.

To think that my mother used to be in awe of MPs and had hopes that my sister might marry one!! She would have changed her mind quickly if she knew what we now do about them.

In my London days I was a Member of the CND and was chosen , although the youngest to go the the House of Commons and meet Lord to deliver boxes and boxes of signed petitions calling for nuclear disarmament. There were 12 of us in all and you could tell he was not interested. I piped up and asked him after Hiroshima how could he not be concerned? He muttered something and we all stood up to leave. As we were walking along , he came up to me and said "Your'e Welsh My Dear aren't you...wonderful singers the Welsh." I just stared at him and walked on. 

There was a time when Politics and Politiicians were reasonably clean and caring....not now, and History will prove Tony Blair to be the most corrupt PM in living memory.

I went to some Prime Ministers question times in the 80's.  It was  a very clever debate and I enjoyed it.  Times change and a lot of the time not for the better!   Asking a serving Prime Minister in question time if he used to take hard drugs would not have happened.  Maybe he did have a sniff once but he obviously never became an addict.

In those times the debate was lively but with constructive criticism and questions.  Not total stupidity as it is now

fuzeta wrote:I went to some Prime Ministers question times in the 80's.  It was  a very clever debate and I enjoyed it.  Times change and a lot of the time not for the better!   Asking a serving Prime Minister in question time if he used to take hard drugs would not have happened.  Maybe he did have a sniff once but he obviously never became an addict.

In those times the debate was lively but with constructive criticism and questions.  Not total stupidity as it is now

It is a childish , desperate way of trying to prove the other Party wrong, not you are right.!!! Since Blair we have had coalition which does nothing for decision making and now with Politicians cheating on Expenses taking bribes for Lobbying no clear Government in sight for the next election expect more of the same for up until voting day. Britain has one of the lowest voting for General Elections in the World only 45% voted last time ...expect all these fringe Militant Parties to get some votes this time.

God knows what we will get next time Panda, it is very worrying. Time to leave the country methinks, there must be plenty of empty spaces in certain other parts of Europe as it seems they are all coming here!

fuzeta wrote:God knows what we will get next time Panda, it is very worrying.  Time to leave the country methinks, there must be plenty of empty spaces in certain other parts of Europe as it seems they are all coming here!

The "middle class" backbone taxpayers of Britain have been leaving in droves for Years Fuzeta and in their place we have Illegals, Muslims who will not attempt to mix with the indigenous population US, and it's going to get worse. I do feel quite sorry for the next generation .