Standards watchdog launches investigation into Welsh MP who asked constituent for diazepam

The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner has launched a proper investigation following Welsh Labour MP Stephen Doughty's admission that he asked a constituent to supply him having a controlled drug.

Mr Doughty, the MP for Cardiff South and Penarth and a Shadow Foreign Office Minister, asked former Labour Party activist Byron Long for some diazepam tablets.

Mr Long, who was simply a detailed friend of Mr Doughty's, claims he gave the MP around 140 such tablets over a period of two years, but Mr Doughty has strenuously denied that.

Read more: Labour MP Stephen Doughty apologises after asking constituent for drug only available on prescription

The office of Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone has put a statement on its website confirming that Mr Doughty has been investigated under two parts of the MPs' Code of Conduct.

The two sections are paragraph 11, which relates to an alleged conflict between private interests and the public interest, while paragraph 17 concerns actions that allegedly cause significant damage to the reputation of home of Commons in general, or of its Members generally.

In May, the Mail on Sunday published a tale by which Mr Doughty apologised for asking Mr Long to supply him with the anti-depressant while he was due to use a flight to Canada.

Text messages forwards and backwards men showed that Mr Doughty, who has spoken about his own mental health issues, arranged for Mr Long to provide the tablets to him at his home in Cardiff Bay.

A statement issued to the Mail on Sunday on Mr Doughty's behalf asserted the trip to Canada hadn't gone ahead and that the MP hadn't needed the tablets.

Last month Mr Long visited Cardiff Bay police station making a statement by which he admitted supplying diazepam to Mr Doughty.

He was arrested, held for approximately 14 hours, and then released on police bail. During his time in custody, his home was searched by cops. Subsequently he was formally cautioned.

The official caution document issued to him stated: “Offence: concerned within the supplying of Diazepam, a controlled drug of class C, to Stephen Doughty in contravention of section 4 (1) of the Misuse of medication Act 1971.”

The caution specified Mr Doughty's home address in Cardiff Bay.

We asked South Wales Police whether Mr Doughty had been interviewed in connection with the matter and whether he'd be provided a caution for possessing a Class C drug.

A police spokeswoman responded: “There is no evidence of every other offences having been committed in connection to this incident.”

Mr Long has criticised the apparent inconsistency, saying it looks as if an MP is being treated in a different way for an ordinary person.

Possession of a class C drug can also be an offence underneath the Misuse of medication Act. Mr Long claims he told his story to the Mail on Sunday while he believed Mr Doughty had let him down and never helped him sufficiently with a major housing problem he'd with regards to the external cladding of his home.

Mr Doughty has denied not helping his former friend. We sought comment from Mr Doughty, the Labour Party and Welsh Labour.

David Costa, the deputy general secretary of Welsh Labour, said: “We will not be commenting about this.”

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