Former justice minister Crispin Blunt has been fined £1,200 after admitting to four drug possession charges, including crystal meth and GBL, following a raid on his Surrey home. The 65-year-old former Conservative MP for Reigate told Westminster Magistrates' Court that his involvement in chemsex parties was intended to inform government policy on drugs.
The drugs were discovered when police attended his home on 25 October 2023 as part of an investigation into a chemsex party. Officers found crystal meth valued at £200–£250 on his bedside table, along with bottles containing a mix of crystal meth and amphetamine, a syringe containing GBL, and a small amount of cannabis. Blunt was described as “polite and calm” during the arrest.
Blunt, who represented himself, criticised the decision to prosecute, arguing that drug possession charges should not exist and that his first-hand experience of drug use had helped him campaign for policy change. He claimed he was the victim of a blackmail and extortion plot by his drug dealer, who alleged rape; however, no charges were brought after an 18-month investigation, and police found no evidence of extortion.
Sentencing Blunt, Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram noted his former role as a prisons and justice minister, stating: “As a former minister … you served as a role model to all. … Your actions have risked undermining confidence in all parliamentarians by breaking the very laws you enacted.” The judge added that Blunt’s crimes were aggravated by his admission to hosting drug parties and facilitating others’ drug use.
Blunt pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a Class A drug and three counts of possessing Class B drugs. He was ordered to pay a £480 victim surcharge and £200 costs, in addition to the fine. He lost the Conservative whip after his arrest and stood down from Parliament at the 2024 general election.
