The incumbent Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has pledged to “establish a new London Drugs Commission comprised of independent experts” if re-elected as Mayor. The commission would seek to investigate “the most effective laws” to tackle the consumption of illegal drugs and drug-related crime.
Mr Khan’s manifesto mentions the “huge damage” caused by drug-related issues in society, with the Mayor promising that if re-elected he would be open to “fresh ideas” – including, according to The Guardian, the possibility of decriminalising cannabis. Heroin or cocaine, however, are not up for discussion: Mr Khan has ruled out the possibility of legalising any Class-A drugs.
Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, declared his opposition to decriminalising cannabis in February. However, he has since said that there is “always room for grown-up debate” on the issue, which may help Mr Khan’s case.
For Londoners, this could be a very popular pledge. A 2019 Survation poll found that 63% of Londoners support decriminalising cannabis, compared to 47% nationwide. The commission would not necessarily propose this – it will “examine the latest evidence from around the world” to make its decisions.
Meanwhile Boris Johnson, himself the previous Mayor of London, has firmly rejected the idea. According to Downing Street Press Secretary Allegra Stratton, the Prime Minister has “absolutely no intention of legalising cannabis”. At a Westminster briefing, Stratton reiterated that drugs policy is overseen by the UK government – “it’s not a matter for [Khan’s] office”.
Mr Khan’s other election promises include the building of 10,000 new council homes, and the doubling of the size of the “green economy” as a result of local government investment in a “green skills academy”.
Mayoral campaigning continues ahead of the election on 6 May.
Georgia Douglas
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Georgia Douglas
Georgia is a 17-year old aspiring journalist from Scotland, who plans to study English at university this autumn. Check her out on Twitter @georgia_doug1as