I missed what you’d have to call the punchline to the story about Michael Gove’s drug use: It’s not that the candidate for the leadership of the Conservative Party (and with it the prime ministership) used cocaine even while scolding London liberals for wanting to legalize drugs, it’s that as education secretary he enforced a policy that put lifetime teaching bans on teachers who were caught with drugs. And defended the policy even after admitting that he’d put the stuff up his own nose.
It’s also that as justice secretary he was in charge of the prison system where people convicted of the same crime he committed were serving their sentences.
What does he have to say about it? “All politicians have lives before politics. Certainly when I was working as a journalist I didn’t imagine I would go into politics or public service. I didn’t act with an eye to that.”
In keeping with that, we’re amending the laws: Drug use will only be illegal for people who plan on becoming politicians.
So far, the news–if it is news–that Boris Johnson also used drugs doesn’t seem to be damaging his campaign that way Gove’s admission is hurting his. Ditto the assorted other candidates.
I’ll now leave the Gove drug story alone. Unless, of course, it gets even more absurd and I just have to update you.
Notes from the U.K. 
And of course it is not ike journalism is important work or anything….
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Not at all. You just sit at your desk and make stuff up. At least, that’s how Boris Johnson seems to have done it. (Please note that all-important “seems to.”)
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So Coke probably helps you ignore reality and make stuff up
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Coke capital C, probably not–that’s the stuff in cans. Small C? It sounds likely but I’m going to admit to having zero first-hand experience with the stuff. I haven’t led a drug-free life, believe me, but I never did try coke. As a journalist, Johnson lost one job for making stuff up, I believe. Whether coke was involved or not I couldn’t say.
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Hypocrisy in politics. Who would have thought? Sometimes I’m not proud of what our two countries have in common.
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I know. Sometimes it crosses my mind that I’m the common factor here, but I really don’t think I have that much influence.
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I see you have your own share of… “stupid” politicos.
A world-wide trend I’m afraid.
But please, please, not Boris “Judas” Johnson.
Anyone but.
(In all fairness according to the last election, Nigel Farage should be designated Premier.)
God forbid.
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The choices are depressing. All of them.
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Absolutely. I keep saying that there has to be an alternative to Tr*mp or Maduro? To LePen or Mélenchon? (Macron is becoming a disappointment) Farage or Johnson? Come on? Those are not choices.
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Farage and Johnson are separate people???
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A very good point Ellen. I’m so glad you mentioned it. That is an excellent question. Now that you mention it I would like to address the issue in a different manner. If you will…
I can go on like that for hours. It’s called “Politiquese”. I was trained.
After 2 hours.
Going back to your question, a journalist, name, Peterson of Stephens, something like that, has noted they never appear together. There is not one single piece of evidence that puts them in the same place at the same time. Farage has never been elected to the British House of commons, while pursuing a brilliant carreer as a European MP, promoting exit for the UE. Some things are just understandable in this universe. The journalist’s theory is that they are one person with two different personalities. He calls them Dr Farage and Mr. Johnson. Or Vice-Versa. Ha! I remember the journalist’s name. Robert L. Stevenson.
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How did he know, so many years ago, that this would happen?
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He was a keen observer of the sad nature of the human mind. It goes way beyond politicos. Most, actually are only Mr Hyde. :(
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Sigh. When I was younger, I might have argued with you.
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Haha! I am lucky then. I wouldn’t want to get on your wrong side… ;)
Bon week-end Ellen.
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Very wise. I am scary.
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I thought as much. I will watch my words with you. Yes ma’am.
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Oh, I do love having an unearned reputation.
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Now having said that, don’t push your advantage too much. ;)
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Awwww, that spoils all the fun.
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Sorry to rain on your parade. Blame it on the English weather…
Take care Ellen. And keep fighting. The world needs you to.
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That’s a kind thing to say. The poor old world needs a lot of help right now and I just hope there are enough of us to do the job.
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Yes. Lots of help. But, honestly I don’t know where to start. :(
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I know the feeling. Anywhere. As long as we don’t roll over and play dead.
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To me it seems like an impossible task. I live in Mexico caught between the Tramp and the local president who looks well on his way to emulate Chavez and Maduro… Not to mention Mexico’s yearly 40,000 homicides…
I’m going to Paris in July-August, concerned by the ever so frequent knife stabbings, and checking out possible bomb droppers…
:(
I’m thinking of emigrating to Singapore… ;) I liked the place. Though real estate is a tad expensive…
B. good, Ellen. I sincerely hope Boris Judas Johnson doesn’t make it to Number 10 D. St. That would be the last straw before the four riders. Or maybe they’re already here? Tr*mp. Johnson. Salvini. Putin.??
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Excuse me, I’m going to go shove a bit of food under the bed, crawl in after it, and take up residence.
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A good idea. You may want to push Theresa May(be) away…
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Her and the whole pack barking at her heels.
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Tally-ho, said Johnson, as the poor doe (!) fell to her knees.
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That’s probably the only context in which I’d feel any pity for her.
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Yes. Poor thing. ;)
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Gove = Hypocritic Oaf.
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That took me a minute but made me laugh all the harder when I got it.
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Lifetime ban is extreme.
Thanks for the update.
This information makes him even worse.
I never used coke either, or weed. Have used a lot of prescription drugs for anxiety, depression, etc. starting in my thirties. Before that I self medicated with alcohol. I miss the alcohol. A lot can be said for it. But then the side effects are not good. Now I take Prozac and all alcohol does us give me a headache.
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That’s something I didn’t know about Prozac. Interesting.
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There is a rumour going round that his wife leaked the story to make him more cool.
The thing is, he has managed to make coke the least coolest thing in the past 72 hours then governments have done in years
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Yeah, he’s not a good advertisement for the stuff, is he? The speculation I read in–oh, I think it was the Guardian is that one of his spin doctors from an earlier run leaked it. He did a mock interview and they asked him about drugs. Yes, he said, I took cocaine etc.
Never give that answer, they told him. Say politicians are entitled to have had a private life before politics. It’s an answer David Cameron introduced and got away with. Then all the spin doctors changed allegiances and employements and bingo, the story dropped into one of his current opponents’ pocket.
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ooohh I like that one as well, we will never really know the truth on it, so I am enjoying the gossip on it and will pick on whichever one makes me laugh more
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I’m with you. No serious consequences to making the wrong choice on this.
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Maybe it was aliens
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Always possible.
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:)
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And my mind fluttered back to G.W.B. admitting to having smoked a joint in college, but it didn’t count as he didn’t inhale….
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Which should’ve disqualified him from running for office on the grounds of sheer incompetence.
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Who would have guessed there were so many ways of not taking drugs?
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!!!!
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When does politics not get more absurd? I’m just curious.
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Hard to say. Just when you think it can’t surpass itself, it does.
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Thank you for explaining the full extent of Gove’s hypocrisy to me, being a teacher once upon a time, was already enough for me to thoroughly dislike the man. The Tory leadership competition was very depressing, all the candidates are making wild promises they can’t possibly fulfill (there’s still a hung parliament, & the EU still won’t reopen negotiations, guys) it is the 2016 campaign all over again!! Only worse.
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It reminds me of the Herbert Hoover (Republican president who presided over the disastrous early days of the Depression) promise to put a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage. I don’t think a lot of chickens were harmed in the fulfillment of that promise.
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Ah, yes. He said it would “all blow over!”
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Prosperity is just around the corner. And in the case of British politicians, so’s a lot of blow.
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And while this race to the bottom feeder goes on, Pompeo is promising to intervene to stop Corbyn coming to power….what’s he going to do? Send in the Maccabees? Or just rely on the Murdoch press which seems to be doing a good job on that front already…
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If that doesn’t convince people to back Corbyn, I don’t know what it’s going to take.
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Wow! Lifetime ban on teachers, yet he used it….
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Yes indeedy deed. Let’s have a brief moment to honor the power of hypocrisy.
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No kidding!
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