Danny Kushlick

Danny Kushlick is a British political activist and founder of the Transform Drug Policy Foundation (TDPF).[1] He stood in the 2010 United Kingdom general election for The People's Manifesto.

Career

Kushlick founded the Transform Drug Policy Foundation in 1996.[2] He is currently that organisation's head of external affairs. He has previously worked with various support organisations, covering learning difficulties, unemployed ex-offenders, drug counselling, and homelessness.[1]

In 2004, he co-authored the report After the War on Drugs: Options for Control, which is a critique of current drug policy in the UK and recommendations for reform.[3] He is a regular commentator on drug policy in print and broadcast media – including BBC, Guardian, Observer, OpenDemocracy, Chatham House Magazine (World Today). His contributions can be accessed through Transform's blog.

The People's Manifesto

In 2010, Kushlick was chosen to stand for Mark Thomas's The People's Manifesto in the 2010 general election in the Bristol West constituency. Kushlick only stood on policy – the legalisation and regulation of drugs – which was drawn from the original manifesto.[4][5]

At Mark Thomas's show at the Royal National Theatre on 7 April 2010, a selection of policies were directly put forward to Kushlick by members of the audience:[6]

  1. Drugs will be legalised and their production will be nationalised (and Mark Thomas will become the "Drug Tsar")
  2. If it pisses down with rain on a bank holiday, it will be considered a rollover
  3. Trident will be scrapped
  4. Newspaper retractions will be printed in the same font size and on the same page as the offending article
  5. A cap will be put on house prices, relative to the average wage in the area (and more council houses will be built in these areas)
  6. People who complain there are too many immigrants will be banned from restaurants serving anything other than British food
  7. The railways will be re-nationalised
  8. The introduction of a "maximum wage"
  9. The introduction of a Tobin tax on all currency transactions
  10. All ministers will have had experience of their ministry prior to taking office

Kushlick's party platform indicates that he will avoid taking the UK to war, and thinks that "the most important 'special relationship' isn't with the US, but with your mum".[1]

Kushlick has also been interviewed and cited by many authors for his experience on the subject of drug policy reform.[7][8]

Personal life

Kushlick lives in St Andrews, Bristol, with his partner and two children. His partner, Fi Hance, is a Green Party councillor for the Redland ward in Bristol.[4]

References
  1. "About Danny". The People's Manifesto. Archived from the original on 3 May 2010. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
  2. "Danny Kushlick". YourNextMP. Archived from the original on 20 July 2010. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
  3. "After the war on drugs: options for control". National Documentation Centre on Drug Use. Health Research Board. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
  4. "Dan's the man who's putting the case for People's Manifesto". Bristol Evening Post. 10 April 2010. Archived from the original on 14 May 2010.
  5. Kushlick, Danny (17 April 2010). "The People's Manifesto is not a joke". The Guardian.
  6. "The Manifesto". The People's Manifesto. Archived from the original on 3 May 2010. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
  7. Malcolm Dean (2013). Democracy under attack: How the Media Distort Policy and Politics. Policy Press. p. 213. ISBN 978-1-84742-849-3.
  8. Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Home Affairs Committee (10 December 2012). Drugs: Breaking the Cycle, Ninth Report of Session 2012-13, Vol. 2: Oral and Written Evidence. The Stationery Office. p. 80. ISBN 978-0-215-05095-3.

Further reading
  • "Danny Kushlick". The Guardian. Kings Place, 90 York Way, London, N1P 2AP. Retrieved 8 January 2015.CS1 maint: location (link)
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