Drug info - MP ordered from House of Commons after cocaine jibe

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MP ordered from Commons after cocaine jibe
4.14PM, Thu Dec 8 2005

Veteran Labour MP Dennis Skinner has been thrown out of the Commons after accusing Shadow Chancellor George Osborne of past cocaine use.

As he complained about the state of the economy under Tory governments of the 1980s, Mr Skinner, MP for Bolsover, said: "The only thing that was growing then were the lines of coke in front of boy George and the rest of the Tories."

Speaker Michael Martin demanded he withdraw his accusation but the MP hit back: "That was in the News of the World and you know it."

The newspaper story that Mr Osborne was at a party where cocaine was taken while a prostitute looked on has been strongly denied by the Shadow Chancellor and his spokesman.

Mr Skinner refused to take back his comment saying: "No, I'm not withdrawing it ... it's true", at which the Speaker said he must either do so or leave the chamber.

"I order you to leave the chamber," he eventually said, before officially "naming" the MP.

http://www.itn.co.uk/news/1186564.html