Home Secretary James Cleverly joked about giving his wife a date-rape drug, just hours after announcing a crackdown on the growing epidemic of drinks spiking.
The top Tory told female guests at a No10 reception that “a little bit of Rohypnol in her drink every night” was “not really illegal if it’s only a little bit”. Mr Cleverly also laughed that the secret to a long marriage was ensuring your spouse was “someone who is always mildly sedated so she can never realise there are better men out there.”
Now angry campaigners – battling a crime they described as an epidemic in a parliamentary inquiry last year – are calling on Rishi Sunak to investigate his Cabinet minister’s behaviour. Colin Mackie, chair of Spike Aware UK, who lost a child through drink spiking, said he was absolutely furious at Mr Cleverly’s remarks. He said: “Spiking isn’t a joking matter. It’s an appalling thing for the Home Secretary to say, especially when we’re trying to get changes to the law.”
Rohypnol, along with along with nervous system depressant GHB, has become notorious as a date-rape drug. Known as “roofies”, they are used legally for medical sedation but possession without a prescription carries a maximum two years in jail. They are regularly used as a weapon in rape and other serious crimes.
Rising spiking figures show nearly 6,800 offences reported in the 12 months to May, according to data from National Police Chiefs’ Council. And a YouGov survey last year found one in 10 women and one in 20 men said they’d had drinks spiked.
Well, I’m flabbergasted … 
Remarks like that at any time by anybody would be misogynistic and anti-social, seen as encouraging crime, but by the Home Secretary, allegedly “cracking down” on spiking, to women, potentially victims of spiking, they can only be seen as totally irresponsible, verging on the moronic … 
