Conference, allow me to congratulateLDDPR and Ewan and Adam inparticular for what is an outstandingmotion. In moving this amendment Iseek to strengthen what I see as astand-out quality in this motion andEwan's work in this area – thecentrality of reliable scientific advice,delivered independently from thepolitical arena

The motion is distinct from the outsetbecause it acknowledges that as wellas there being undoubted evidence ofthe health-related, economic andsocietal harms that drug use cancause, there is also evidence that thepolicies historically in place to tacklethese harms can themselves beharmful – that many of the adverseimpact drugs have on our communitiesare down to the way current drugs lawis formulated

So where does this evidence comefrom? Ideally it would come fromindependent clinicians, scientists andsocial scientists who dedicate theirprofessional lives to studying howdrugs work, how best to control theirusage and to minimise the harms theycause. Sadly, drugs policy is far toooften based more on moralisingideology, and on appeasing tabloidheadline-writers, than robust evidence.