The Sun reports that pop megastar George Michael was arrested on Friday, near public lavatories on Hampstead Heath, in possession of Class A and C drugs. Reacting to the Metropolitan’s decision not to charge Mr Michael, The Sun concludes that it’s "one law for the rich and famous and another for the rest of us." London MP Iain Duncan Smith issued this statement to ConservativeHome.com:
“If, as we are led to believe that George Michael was caught with class A and B drugs on him, then he should be prosecuted, after all it isn’t the first time. However, the decision not to prosecute George Michael sends the signal to the public that if you are a celebrity in London you come under a different set of laws to everyone else. It also sends a powerful and destructive message to young people who admire George Michael, that drugs are fine, there is no penalty if you take them. After all didn’t the Met let Kate Moss and Amy Winehouse off as well?
The Metropolitan Police seem to be making this up as they go along. The Centre for Social Justice’s Breakthrough Britain report showed that in Holland and Sweden where they have much clearer and tougher laws, everyone gets treated the same and the result is that there are no mixed messages and they have proportionately far fewer drug abusers than the UK.
At war with each other in the hierarchy, mired in controversy over the Menezes shooting, beset with accusations and counter accusations about race and corruption and lacking any firm leadership, this last decision by the Met will leave many Londoners asking what has happened to a once proud force that was, years ago, a byword the world over for quality policing.”
Over on The Platform, another London Tory MP – Mark Field – sets out his own wider case against the Met. Read it here.