Cocaine was found in toilets during raucous parties at the Tory party conference, the Sunday Mail can reveal.
Our probe found traces of the class A drug in two bathrooms close to a packed bar within the security cordon at Birmingham’s Hyatt Regency hotel.
Prime Minister Liz Truss and senior ministers along with hundreds of MPs, delegates, party members and donors were based at the plush venue where champagne flowed into the early hours.
A positive test was also recorded on a surface within a toilet at a boozy Tory party in the city’s library.
The conference is already facing sleaze allegations after trade minister Conor Burns was sacked over claims of “serious misconduct” in the hotel bar.
Traces of cocaine were found using a testing kit available online, suggesting lines had been snorted from the top of toilet roll holders in cubicles.
The revelations are yet another embarrassment for Truss, who has been reeling from one crisis to another after Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget of tax cuts for millionaires crashed the pound and sent mortgage rates soaring.
She won the keys to No10 in September after former prime minister Boris Johnson was forced out over scandals including lockdown-busting parties at Downing Street.
Our drug findings reinforce claims of a debauched “last days of Rome” atmosphere at last week’s conference, with polling suggesting a Tory wipeout at a future general election.
Former Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency boss and ex-Labour MSP Graeme Pearson said: “The abuse of cocaine is now widespread in society and that abuse inflicts serious harm to many families across the country.
“It is well beyond time that those in authority did more than talk and instead take action to tackle this serious problem.
“For me it is extremely frustrating that governments continually pontificate on drugs but do very little to limit the damage that they do.”
The alleged incident with Burns is reported to have involved “lecherous” comments to a young male in the conference hotel bar.
Former Spice Girl Melanie Brown – who was at the conference to talk about domestic abuse – made a cryptic dig at the MP after he claimed to be shocked.
Mel B tweeted: “Really? You’re shocked about this complaint? Let me remind you what you said me in lift…”
There is no suggestion he or any other MPs took drugs. Last year, swab tests found traces of cocaine in all but one of 12 lavatories in the House of Commons.
Despite the evidence of drug taking in the corridors of power, the UK Government has outlined plans to crack down on middle class users, with potential penalties including the loss of your passport or driving licence. A 10-year strategy will target so-called “lifestyle” users as well as suppliers and gangs behind the “county lines” phenomenon which sees young, vulnerable people turned into cross-country mules.
There have been reports of suburban professionals paying up to £200 for “woke coke” they believed had been ethically sourced.
Truss is reported to have campaigned to legalise marijuana while at university but has taken a hard line on drugs since entering frontline politics.
Her Health Secretary Therese Coffey’s mobile phone alarm recently went off during an interview to a Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg song featuring the lyric “Still puffing my leafs… still not loving police”.
A number of senior politicians have admitted prior drug-taking. Boris Johnson said he tried both cocaine and cannabis while at university.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has admitted smoking cannabis. Ex-levelling up secretary Michael Gove admitted in 2019 that he had used cocaine several times.
Former justice secretary Dominic Raab admitted using cannabis, and ex-health secretary Jeremy Hunt said he had “a cannabis lassi” in India.
Labour leader Keir Starmer hasn’t admitted or denied drug use, simply stating when asked that he “worked hard and played hard” at university.
The maximum penalty for possession of class A drugs, including cocaine, is up to seven years in jail, an unlimited fine, or both.
Suppliers face up to life imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both.
A Conservative Party spokesperson said: “We do not condone illegal substance use. “We note there is no evidence as to when these traces were deposited and one of the venues mentioned was a public venue outside of the conference secure zone.”
The Hyatt Regency Hotel was contacted for comment.
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