METHADONE POLICY IS 'PUBLICLY FUNDED ADDICTION', SAYS GOLDIE

ANNABEL Goldie, the new Scottish Conservative leader, will accuse ministers
today of blowing UKP11 million on "publicly-funded drug addiction".

Miss Goldie has chosen to attack the Executive's drugs strategy in her
first major speech since succeeding David McLetchie as Scots Tory chief
last week.

The West of Scotland MSP will tell a Glasgow conference this morning that
the harm reduction approach has left 19,000 Scots addicts "parked" on
methadone, the controversial heroin substitute.

"It is a well known fact that methadone is more addictive than heroin, yet
this is virtually the only option open to many drug addicts across
Scotland," Miss Goldie will claim. "Essentially, the Scottish Executive is
spending UKP11 million a year on publicly funded drug addiction.

"Every pound spent on this so-called harm reduction route is a pound not
spent on rehabilitation and the real fight against drugs."

Meanwhile, David Cameron's campaign for the Tory leadership received a
boost yesterday when William Hague, the former Conservative leader,
revealed that he had voted for the young contender.

Liam Fox, who was knocked out of the race at the semi-final stage, also
declared that he would back Mr Cameron over David Davis, raising the number
of confirmed supporters to 109 of the 198 Tory MPs.

Mr Cameron meanwhile insisted that the only way the Tories could win the
next election was by winning the centre ground. And despite criticism that
he was too similar to Tony Blair, the 39-year-old vowed to put party
politics aside and back the Prime Minister, if it was the right thing to do.

Mr Hague is tipped to become shadow chancellor in a shadow cabinet led by
Mr Cameron.