Blur drummer and Labour Party candidate once went on a drug-fuelled 'binge' (Image: GETTY)
Dave Rowntree, Sir Keir Starmer’s would-be MP for Mid-Sussex, admitted to taking cocaine despite Labour wanting to crack down on middle-class drug taking with stricter new laws.
In 2003, Dave Rowntree was caught on camera appearing to bully, harass, intimidate and assault Canadian journalist and musician, Nardwuar the Human Serviette, in an incident he later apologised for.
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In his apology, he said that “the day after a cocaine binge, I’d fly into a murderous rage, and this was the case on that day”.
A Labour source pointed out that this relates to events over 20 years ago at the height of his Britpop days.
The insider went on to highlight how Mr Rowntree was now committed to rehabilitation work helping those overcome similar issues.
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Since 2011, he has been championing campaigns such as access to legal aid, protecting the environment, and standing up for workers.
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Blur drummer Labour MP Dave Rowntree once went on a cocaine binge (Image: GETTY)
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But Sir Keir’s decision to select the drummer in the first place has raised new questions in light of Labour’s stated aim to get tough on middle-class drug use.
Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy previously claimed that “middle-class drug users” shared the blame for the deaths of children involved in the drug trade.
He also said middle-class drug users should “look themselves in the mirror and make the connection between their drug use and what is happening on the streets”.
In a statement posted on his website regarding the incident at the time, Mr Rowntree said: “There’s no excuse for my bullying, and the reason I did it is perhaps nearly as sordid.
“As I’ve written in the past I became addicted to cocaine during the nineties.
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“Now I’ve no idea if it has this effect on anyone else, but for me, the day after a cocaine binge I’d sometimes fly into a murderous rage and take it out on whoever happened to be around.
“In this case, it happened to be the journalist. To be clear, Nardwaur didn’t do anything to provoke me. I sent an apology to him the next day.”
The Labour Party was approached for comment.
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