Home Secretary James Cleverly admits date rape joke may have ‘distracted’ from work to tackle spiking
Home Secretary James Cleverly has made a personal apology for a date rape joke and admitted it “potentially distracted” from the government’s work to tackle drink spiking.
Just before Christmas, it emerged the home secretary had made what his spokesperson described as an “ironic joke” at a Downing Street reception about putting a date rape drug in his wife’s drink, hours after the Home Office announced plans to crack down on spiking.
Mr Cleverly told female guests “a little bit of Rohypnol in her drink every night” was “not really illegal if it’s only a little bit”, the Sunday Mirror reported.
The cabinet minister also laughed that the secret to a long marriage was ensuring your spouse was “someone who is always mildly sedated so she can never realise there are better men out there”.
He faced calls to resign for what was labelled a “sickening” comment, but after issuing an apology through his spokesperson, Downing Street said it considered the matter closed.
James Cleverly and his wife Susannah Cleverly
Nonetheless, Mr Cleverly was challenged about the comments on Sky News’ Breakfast with Kay Burley. He said: “It was a joke that I made. And of course, you know, I regret it and I apologised immediately. To me that apology is heartfelt.”
After being pressed on the issue, the home secretary admitted he may have “distracted” from the government’s work to tackle drink spiking.
He said: “I’m sorry because it’s clearly caused hurt and that’s the last thing I wanted to do. It potentially distracted from the work that we were doing to tackle spiking, to help predominately who are the victims of spiking. And I regret that.
“But I’m absolutely determined to continue the work which I’ve been doing for years both as foreign secretary and straight away as home secretary.”
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He defended his record, noting he was “the first home secretary to put forward legislation to toughen our ability to deal with spiking”.
“My first visit as home secretary was to an investigation team investigating violence against women and girls,” he said. “When I was foreign secretary, I set a target that 80% of our aid has to go demonstrably have a positive effect for women and girls.”
He also said his wife, Susie, was “very honest in terms of her feedback” when the story emerged.
Mr Cleverly had been sharply criticised by a senior Tory MP who told Sky News last week the comment was “misogynistic” and “very ill-judged”.
Dame Caroline Dinenage said: “I think it was a very ill-judged comment. But I mean, I think James has owned that comment and apologised.
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Cleverly date rape joke ‘silly’ but ‘let’s move on’
“I think he understands and actually anybody who follows James on social media will see how deeply in love with his wife he is and what a wonderful relationship they have.
“So you know, I think that he’s apologised, let’s move on.”
The conversation in which the home secretary reportedly made the comment was at a Downing Street reception where conversations are usually understood to be off the record.
However, the Sunday Mirror decided to break that convention because of Mr Cleverly’s position and the subject matter.
More victims of the infected blood scandal will qualify for compensation while others will get higher awards under changes to the scheme.
The new rules mean estates of affected people who have already died will be able to claim payments.
As well as this, around 1,000 people who are already eligible will be able to claim a higher amount, including chronic Hepatitis C individuals.
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The reforms are being introduced following 16 recommendations from the Infected Blood Inquiry, which published an additional report earlier this month.
Confirming the changes, minister for the Cabinet Office Nick Thomas-Symonds said the government has “concentrated on removing barriers to quicker compensation”.
He added: “Our focus as we move forward must be working together to not only deliver justice to all those impacted, but also to restore trust in the state to people who have been let down too many times.”
Between the 1970s and early 1990s, more than 30,000 people in the UK were infected with HIV and hepatitis C while receiving NHS care.
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Infected blood scandal explained
Some 3,000 people have died after they were given contaminated blood and blood products, while survivors live with lifelong implications.
In last October’s Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves committed £11.8bn to compensate victims of the infected blood scandal, with the scheme opening at the end of last year.
The changes will ensure that those who endured treatments with adverse side effects, such as interferon, will receive higher compensation to what is currently provided.
Higher compensation will also be available for the impacts currently recognised by the Infected Blood Support Scheme ‘Special Category Mechanism’ (SCM), which is provided to chronic Hepatitis C individuals who have experienced a significant impact on their ability to carry out daily duties.
The government said the changes mean that over a thousand people will receive a higher amount than they would have under the existing scheme.
Scheme widened to estates of deceased affected people
The scheme will also be widened to some people who don’t currently qualify.
Under the current mechanism, if someone who was infected dies before receiving full compensation, then any final award can be passed on to their relatives through their estate.
However while compensation is also available to family members affected by the scandal – a partner, sibling or parent of someone who was infected, for example, this claim dies with them if they pass away.
The changes announced today mean that if the affected person has died after May 21st 2024, or dies in future before receiving compensation, their estate will be able to make a claim.
Memorial plans announced
The government also announced that Clive Smith, president of the Haemophilia Society, will be the chair of the new Infected Blood Memorial Committee.
The project will include plans for a UK memorial and support memorials in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
In line with the Infected Blood Inquiry’s recommendation, the committee will also develop plans for commemorative events and is planning to hold the first by the end of 2025.
Mr Smith said the memorial is “long overdue”.
He added: “It is a great privilege to be asked to lead this important work on behalf of the community.
“I am conscious that we are already behind in relation to implementing the Infected Blood Inquiry’s recommendation that community events be held on a six-month basis post the Inquiry reporting. We intend to correct that by the end of this year.
“I look forward to working with the whole community across the UK on building an appropriate memorial to those we have lost and to act as a lasting memorial to the nation of what can happen when patient safety is not prioritised.”
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