Home Secretary James Cleverly criticised over drink spiking joke

Home Secretary James Cleverly has been criticised for making a comment about spiking his wife's drink at a Downing Street reception.

He reportedly said the ideal spouse is "someone who is always mildly sedated so she can never realise there are better men out there".

He has apologised for making an "ironic joke" in a private conversation.

Senior Labour party figures described the comments as "appalling", and said passing them off as a joke was the "most tired excuse in the book".

A spokesman for the home secretary said: "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 apologises."

On 18 December, political journalists were invited to a drinks reception in 10 Downing Street along with political aides, ministers and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

The incident happened on the same day Mr Cleverly promoted a raft of new government measures to tackle spiking - the act of putting alcohol or drugs in someone's drink or body without their consent - and described it as a "perverse crime".

According to reports first published by the Sunday Mirror newspaper, Mr Cleverly told some female guests there that "a little bit of Rohypnol in her drink every night" was "not really illegal if it's only a little bit".

It also says he laughed that the secret to a long marriage was ensuring your spouse was "someone who is always mildly sedated so she can never realise there are better men out there".

Conversations at Downing Street receptions are usually considered "off the record" - and therefore not reported on - but the Sunday Mirror decided to break this convention due to Mr Cleverly's position and the content of his remarks.

A source told the BBC he did not recollect the exact wording he had used, because it was a private off the record event, but recognised that any joke along those lines was inappropriate which was why he was apologising.

Mr Cleverly met his wife at university and the couple have two children.

Labour's shadow minister for domestic violence and safeguarding, Alex Davies-Jones, said it was the "most tired excuse in the book."

She added: "If the home secretary is serious about tackling spiking, and violence against women and girls, then that requires a full cultural change.

"The 'banter' needs to stop and it has to start at the top."

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said spiking is a "disturbing and serious crime which is having a devastating impact on young women's lives".

"It is truly unbelievable that the home secretary made such appalling jokes on the very same day the Government announced new policy on spiking," she added.