Yes, of course the War on Drugs exists (but it shouldn’t)

There is something contemptible about Nick Clegg’s latest piece of handwringing. the Deputy Prime Minister – a position that, at least notionally, carries some clout – complains that he’d very much like to do something about Britain’s antiquated drug laws but, well, he can’t because it’s hard and, besides, the Tories are such rotters.

Clegg could have made this a cause. He could have done something about this before now. He could, at the very least, have talked about the War on Drugs rather more than he has. He could even have noted, frequently, that David Cameron has changed his own tune on these matters, abandoning the sensible attitude he once had. He has, instead, chosen not to. That’s fine and his prerogative. But spare me the sanctimony of pretending he’s interested in changing the drug laws while, as best one can tell, doing almost nothing to actually bring about that change. There is something unseemly about the Deputy Prime Minister commenting upon government policy as though that policy had nothing whatsoever to do with him.