No wonder Cameron's always so chilled out

The most dangerous man in politics, Tory leader David Cameron, was almost thrown out of school, aged 15, for smoking weed it turned out yesterday. He told the BBC "Like many people I did things when I was young that I should not have done, and that I regret. But I do believe that politicians are entitled to a past that is private, and that remains private, so I won't be making any commentary on what is in the newspapers today."

The Independent has the fullest coverage, including some quite bizarre little factlets, like the fact Cameron and Boris Johnson were both in the same binge drinking club together at Oxford, or that when Cameron worked in the Home Office cracking down on ravers his girlfried was attending the events. They also rightly point out that the news might make a rational debate on drugs possible.

Cameron has dealt with the whole affair very neatly and has demonstrated just what a seasoned political operator he really is. This whole episode, I think, will increase his standing for all but the most die hard Old Guard Tories. Last year when appearing on the Jonathon Ross Show (my sort of review thing I wrote at the time) he managed to get Norman Tebbit to attack him (perfect for demonstrating how "not like the last Tory government" he is) but he was also able to show how fresh he looks compared to the tired Blair / Brown government. Particularly as he doesn't seem to be weighed down by any of those awkward policies or political positions that are so, like, yesterday.

In blog land Another Green World writes what is possibly his funniest ever post on the affair and Ellee Seymour blogs well on the issue, as always, pointing out that Barak Obama, hopeful Democrat Presdiential Candidate has admitted taking cocaine in the past. It comes as no surprise that Melanie Phillips manages to remain as out of touch as ever by calling Cameron "shifty", says of Ecstacy it "kills one person a week" (ummm... you sure about that Melanie? I mean she's a journalist so must at least of heard of these things called facts) and accuses Cameron of being in favour of legalising drugs. Which he isn't.

This whole episode is an opportunity for the left, I think, to push for a more rational, less Philipsian, policy on drugs although, unfortunately, I also think it shows that the Tory Party has leader who fits in with the more modern liberal attitudes of the citizens of this country, particularly when you compare him to bone crusher Reid and co.. I'm just wondering, come the morning after the next General Election, perhaps we'll see what we thought perhaps we'd never see again - a smiling, Blairite Tory PM.