More than 60 MPs are supporting drug reform in the UK – is yours on the list?

More than 60 cross-party MPs and peers have backed a campaign to end half a century of ‘drug failure’ in the UK.

The Transform Drug Policy Foundation is campaigning to overhaul the Misuse of Drugs Act, which marked its 50th anniversary on 27 May.

The controversial act was passed on May 21, 1971 and still serves as the cornerstone of British drugs legislation.

Working under the banner ‘50 years of failure’, the campaign argues that the 1971 act has ‘damaged people and communities, undermined science and entrenched social injustice’.

A private members’ bill, introduced in the House of Commons in March, is calling for an overhaul of the act, including decriminalisation for possession of small quantities of drugs, transfer of responsibility from the Home Office to the Department for Health and Social Care and better provision of safe consumption sites.

Crispin Blunt, MP has voiced his support for the bill

So far 64 MPs and peers have publicly backed the bill, including high profile medical cannabis advocates, Labour’s Tonia Antoniazzi, Crispin Blunt, Conservative MP and Ronnie Cowan, MP for the Scottish National Party (SNP).

Former leader of the Green Party Caroline Lucas and Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow chancellor John McDonnell have also voiced their support.

Transform has now launched its 50 Voices  campaign, bringing together perspectives from across the UK, and 50 reasons why change is needed.

It is also working with partners at Release and Drug Science to launch a series of reports and proposals later this year.

Dr James Nicholls, Transform’s CEO, commented: “The Misuse of Drugs Act has been a disaster. In the 50 years since it was introduced, we have seen both use and deaths rise dramatically. The UK now has some of the highest drug deaths in Europe, and the situation continues to get worse.

“At the same time, countless lives have either been lost, or ruined through needless and damaging criminalisation. The Government’s recent review of drug markets sets out this failure in detail, and confirms that it cannot be resolved simply through more policing.

“More than 50 MPs and Peers have now called for reform, and we know that a great many more agree but feel unable to speak out on this issue. This will not continue for another 50 years. We need to start a debate now to finally break the deadlock.”

Find out how you can write to your MP about supporting drug reform here

Here is the full list of MPs and peers calling for change: 

Tonia Antoniazzi MP, Labour 

Apsana Begum MP, Labour 

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle, Green Party

Kirsty Blackman MP, SNP

Crispin Blunt MP, Conservative

Deidre Brock MP, Scottish National Party

Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe, Labour

Alan Brown MP, Scottish National Party

Richard Burgon MP, Labour

Dawn Butler MP, Labour

Dan Carden MP, Labour

Daisy Cooper MP, Liberal Democrat

Ronnie Cowan MP, Scottish National Party

Angela Crawley MP, Scottish National Party

Ed Davey MP, Liberal Democrat

Allan Dorans MP, Scottish National Party

Tim Farron MP, Liberal Democrat

Marian Fellows MP, Scottish National Party

Stephen Flynn MP, Scottish National Party

Mary Foy MP, Labour

Mary Glindon MP, Labour

Neale Hanvey MP, Alba Party

Drew Hendry MP, Scottish National Party

Lord Hendy, Labour

Wera Hobhouse MP, Liberal Democrat

Lord Howarth of Newport, Labour

Lord Hylton, Crossbench

Christine Jardine MP, Liberal Democrat

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb, Green Party

Ben Lake MP, Plaid Cymru

Ian Lavery MP, Labour

Chris Law MP, Scottish National Party

Emma Lewell-Buck MP, Labour

Clive Lewis MP, Labour

Tony Lloyd MP, Labour

Caroline Lucas MP, Green Party

Kenny MacAskill MP, Alba Party

Baroness Masham of Ilton, Crossbench

Stewart McDonald MP, Scottish National Party

Stuart McDonald, SNP

John McDonnell MP, Labour

Anne McLaughlin MP, Scottish National Party

Layla Moran MP, Liberal Democrat

Grahame Morris MP, Labour

Gavin Newlands MP, Scottish National Party

Sarah Olney MP, Liberal Democrat

John Penrose MP, Conservative

Dr Dan Poulter MP, Conservative

Lord Sikka, Labour

Lord Ramsbotham, Crossbench

Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP, Labour

Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP, Labour

Liz Saville-Roberts MP, Plaid Cymru

Tommy Sheppard MP, Scottish National Party

Jeff Smith MP, Labour

Baroness Stern, Crossbench

Zarah Sultana MP, Labour

Alison Thewliss MP, Scottish National Party

Owen Thompson MP, SNP

Richard Thomson MP, Scottish National Party

Wendy Chamberlain MP, Liberal Democrat

Dr Philippa Whitford MP, Scottish National Party

Hywel Williams MP, Plaid Cymru

Lord Woolley of Woodford, Crossbench