Conservative leadership contest turns nasty (err ... nastier)

The 'nasty Party' got rid of Michael Portillo because of his youthful same-sex dalliances, now it seems it is trying to do the same with the allegations surrounding David Cameron. If the substance of this Scotsman article is true then it brings new meaning to David Davis's nickname of 'Basher Davis' - he may simply be a hypocrite, to boot! As for the latest controversy, that surrounding Shadow Chancellor George Osborne, well it just goes to show that there are some nasty, nasty people around!

I must say it makes me wonder whether people like Francis Maude and Theresa May ever become disillusioned with some of their Conservative colleagues. Sometimes I think a lime pit would be the best solution to the problem in parts of the 'nasty Party' - that's what one sometimes has to do when an infection is raging out of control.

Did I 'do drugs' in my youth? The simple answer is 'No!' I've never been able to understand the folly of smoking tobacco, far less cannabis, but I have equally never adopted a 'holier than thou' attitude about it, even when being offered some at a party. And I do drink alcohol, of course. Pleasingly, though, I have managed to kick the 'caffeine' habit (aka 'addiction') in the past couple of years. In a few of the countries I lived in cannabis, especially, was in pretty wide use - it does have a rather distinctive smell when smoked! And when I lived in Djibouti a pretty high proportion of the local population, and of our staff, used qat on a daily basis; the glazed eyes and soporific demeanour, not to mention the lump of 'cud' which distended one cheek of users, were dead giveaways!

People who have used more serious substances occasionally in their youth have obviously broken the law (as have those who used cannabis, albeit at a less serious level), but those who have overcome an addiction deserve praise, not calumny. I am not so naive as to think that a few of my acquaintances and/or friends over the years have a completely untarnished record in this area.