This isn’t his first blunder, but it’s definitely his most serious. Rare misery-filled words from the British Home Secretary James Cleverly: “The secret to a long marriage? “To always make sure the wife has a bit of a chill so she never realizes there are better men out there”. Because after all “a bit of Rohypnol”, the most common date rape drug , “even a little bit of booze every night is not completely illegal”.
Scandal
The politician is alleged to have said such nonsense at a Downing Street Christmas party to which he was invited by Chancellor Rishi Sunak. This represents a new blow for the Conservatives, who are already in a crisis of consensus. The tabloid was the first to tell everything Mirror, causing a wave of criticism. The Labor opposition called the incident “chilling” and demanded his resignation.
Even more absurd is that Cleverly’s “jokes” come just hours after he announced a crackdown on the increasing spread of this crime, known in English as “spiking”. Around 6,800 crimes involving this substance were reported in the UK in one year. The minister’s spokesman described the whole thing as an “ironic joke” in a private conversation, but the minister apologized for it. Sunak took no action, treating the matter as “closed”.
“Disgusting”
Women’s Aid, an NGO that helps abused women, said: “It is vital that survivors of the spike see that ministers are taking the issue seriously and not dismissing it,” while another organisation, the Fawcett Society, called on Cleverly to resign: “How can we trust women and girls?” “Does it need to seriously address violence against women? It’s disgusting that the minister responsible for ensuring the safety of women thinks something as terrible as drugging women is a laughing matter.” James Cleverly is no stranger to embarrassing gaffes. A month ago he described the English town of Stockton as a “shithole” in the House of Commons. He defended himself by claiming that he had been misunderstood and that he had actually called Labor MP Alex Cunningham “shit”.
With elections likely to be held in the autumn of 2024, all the main institutes’ polls are unanimous: Labor is favored and the Conservatives risk their worst-ever defeat.
What is a date rape drug?
Rohypnol became known as the date rape drug along with Ghb, a nervous system depressant. These drugs are legally used for medical sedation, but possession without a prescription carries a maximum prison sentence of two years. A YouGov survey last year found that one in 10 women and one in 20 men said they had drunk alcohol laced with drugs.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
