Calls for Home Secretary James Cleverly to quit after ‘sickening’ joke about spiking his wife’s drink

James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, made jesting remarks about surreptitiously adding a date rape drug to his wife’s drink during a Downing Street reception. His offhand comments surfaced shortly after the Home Office unveiled plans to combat spiking incidents.

In an interaction with female attendees at the reception, Cleverly quipped that slipping “a little bit of Rohypnol in her drink every night” wouldn’t constitute a serious offense if it were done in moderation, as per the Sunday Mirror’s report.

Furthermore, he humorously suggested that the key to a lasting marriage was ensuring his wife remained “mildly sedated,” preventing her from recognizing the presence of better suitors.

Despite the customary understanding that conversations at Downing Street gatherings are “off the record,” the Sunday Mirror chose to disclose Cleverly’s remarks, considering his official position and the sensitivity of the topic.

Associates of Cleverly mentioned that while these comments were made in a private setting, he acknowledged their inappropriateness.

Previously emphasizing the importance of addressing violence against women and girls, Cleverly had labeled spiking as a “perverse” crime, yet his recent remarks sparked criticism.

A spokesperson for Cleverly clarified, “In what was always understood as a private conversation, James, the Home Secretary, tackling spiking made what was clearly meant to be an ironic joke, for which he apologizes.”

Senior figures from the Labour Party condemned Cleverly’s remarks, denouncing them as “appalling” and highlighting the need for a shift in cultural attitudes toward such issues, starting from the top leadership.

Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, expressed disbelief over Cleverly’s comments, particularly considering the severity of spiking as a crime and its impact on women’s lives.

Despite the government’s pledge to update legislative language to explicitly criminalize spiking and introduce other measures, they fell short of establishing spiking as a distinct offense.

Statistics revealed a substantial number of reported spiking incidents in England and Wales, predominantly affecting women, often occurring in or around bars and nightclubs.