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James Cleverly facing calls to quit after joking about giving wife date-rape drug

James Cleverly is facing calls to resign over his joke at a Downing Street reception

Archie Mitchell
Sunday 24 December 2023 10:29 EST
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James Cleverly has been urged to resign for joking about spiking his wifeā€™s drink with a date rape drug at a reception in Downing Street.

Just hours after announcing a raft of measures to crack down on the crime, the home secretary joked about putting ā€œa little bit of Rohypnol in her drink every nightā€. He added that it was ā€œnot really illegal if itā€™s only a little bitā€.

Mr Cleverly said the comments were made during ā€œwhat was always understood as a private conversationā€. A spokesperson said: ā€œJames, the home secretary tackling spiking, made what was clearly meant to be an ironic joke ā€“ for which he apologises.ā€

But womenā€™s rights group the Fawcett Society said the comments were ā€œsickeningā€ and called for Mr Cleverly to resign.

The home secretary is directly responsible for tackling issues like spiking
The home secretary is directly responsible for tackling issues like spiking (PA)

Chief executive Jemima Olchawski said: ā€œItā€™s sickening that the senior minister in charge of keeping women safe thinks that something as terrifying as drugging women is a laughing matter.

ā€œNo wonder women donā€™t feel safe. We know that ā€˜banterā€™ is the excuse under which misogyny is allowed to thrive.

ā€œHow can we trust him to seriously address violence against women and girls? We deserve better than this from our lawmakers and Cleverly should resign.ā€

Mr Cleverlyā€™s joke, dubbed ā€œappallingā€ by campaigners, came just hours after the Home Office announced plans to crack down on spiking.

He told female guests at the reception that ā€œa little bit of Rohypnol in her drink every nightā€ was ā€œnot really illegal if itā€™s only a little bitā€, the Sunday Mirror reported.

Rohypnol and Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) are the drugs most frequently used to spike victims and leave them feeling physically weak, out of control, confused or can cause them to pass out.

Mr Cleverly also joked that the secret to a long marriage was ensuring your spouse was ā€œalways mildly sedated so she can never realise there are better men out thereā€.

And a Love Island star, who was the victim of drink spiking and now campaigns on violence against women and girls, condemned Mr Cleverlyā€™s apology.

Sharon Gaffka said: ā€œItā€™s quite ironic that Iā€™m expected to find humour in waking up in a hospital after being drugged.

ā€œSilly me, I just donā€™t know how to have a laugh these days.ā€

The home secretary met his wife Susie at university and the couple have two children.

Cleverly joked that keeping his wife sedated meant she was unable to realise there were better men out there
Cleverly joked that keeping his wife sedated meant she was unable to realise there were better men out there (PA)

Conversations at Downing Street receptions are usually understood to be ā€œoff the recordā€ but the Sunday Mirror decided to break that convention because of Mr Cleverlyā€™s position and the subject matter.

Allies of Mr Cleverly said his comments were made in a private setting but that he recognises they were inappropriate.

Mr Cleverly has previously described tackling violence against women and girls as a ā€œpersonal priorityā€ and called spiking a ā€œperverseā€ crime.

Senior Labour figures criticised Mr Cleverlyā€™s ā€œappallingā€ comments. Alex Davies-Jones, shadow minister for domestic violence and safeguarding, said: ā€œā€˜It was a jokeā€™ is the most tired excuse in the book and no one is buying it.

ā€œIf the home secretary is serious about tackling spiking, and violence against women and girls, then that requires a full cultural change. The ā€˜banterā€™ needs to stop and it has to start at the top.ā€

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: ā€œSpiking is a disturbing and serious crime which is having a devastating impact on young womenā€™s lives. It is truly unbelievable that the home secretary made such appalling jokes on the very same day the government announced new policy on spiking.

ā€œIt suggests that despite being the Cabinet minister ultimately responsible for tackling violence against women and girls he doesnā€™t get how serious this is. Victims will understandably be questioning if they can trust him to take this vile crime seriously.ā€

Colin Mackie, chair of Spike Aware UK, who lost a child through drink spiking, said he was absolutely furious at Mr Cleverlyā€™s remarks. He said: ā€œSpiking isnā€™t a joking matter. Itā€™s an appalling thing for the home secretary to say, especially when weā€™re trying to get changes to the law.ā€

Charity Womenā€™s Aid said: ā€œWe rely on political leaders to take action to end violence against women and girls and the misogyny that underpins it. It is vital that spiking survivors see ministers treating the subject seriously and not downplaying the reality so many women face.ā€

Ministers have pledged to modernise the language used in legislation to make clear that spiking is a crime and announced a series of other measures as part of a crackdown.

But they stopped short of making spiking ā€“ when someone puts drugs into anotherā€™s drink or directly into their body without their knowledge or consent ā€“ a specific offence.

Between May 2022 and April 2023, there were 6,732 reports of spiking in England and Wales ā€“ including 957 reported incidents of needle spiking.

On average police receive 561 reports of spiking a month, with the majority being made by women typically after incidents in or near bars and nightclubs, according to a Home Office report.

It is just the latest controversy surrounding the home secretary since he replaced Suella Braverman last month.

He has repeatedly refused to deny calling Rishi Sunakā€™s flagship Rwanda deportation policy ā€œbats***ā€, a claim made by Ms Cooper.

And he denied claims that he called a Labour MPā€™s northeast constituency a ā€œs***holeā€. He admitted using the expletive in the House of Commons, but said instead he had described Alex Cunningham as a ā€œs*** MPā€, not his constituency as a ā€œs***holeā€.

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