Former Conservative MP and justice minister Crispin Blunt has been fined £1,200 after pleading guilty to four drug charges, including possession of crystal meth. The 65-year-old, who represented Reigate until 2024, admitted the offences at Westminster Magistrates' Court, claiming his drug use was part of an effort to inform government policy on chemsex parties.
Police discovered the drugs during a raid on Blunt's Surrey home in October 2023, following an investigation into a chemsex party. Officers found crystal meth valued at £200-£250 on his bedside table, bottles containing a mix of crystal meth and amphetamine, a syringe of GBL in a laptop bag, and a small amount of cannabis. Blunt told the court he had been blackmailed by a drug dealer who accused him of rape, but no charges were brought after an 18-month investigation.
In a 30-minute speech, Blunt criticised the decision to charge him and argued for drug legalisation. He said his interest in drugs policy began when he served as a prisons minister under David Cameron, and that his 'first-hand experience' hosting chemsex parties helped shape his campaign for reform. The prosecutor noted the charges stemmed from a police investigation into alleged offences at a chemsex party in September 2023, for which no charges were brought.
Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram said Blunt's actions risked undermining confidence in parliamentarians, given his former role as a minister. He noted that Blunt's admission to hosting drug parties and facilitating others' drug use aggravated the offences. Blunt was ordered to pay a £480 victim surcharge and £200 in costs, in addition to the fine.
Blunt, a former army officer and Sandhurst graduate, lost the Conservative whip upon his arrest in October 2023 and did not stand for re-election in 2024. He pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a class A drug and three counts of possessing class B drugs.
