Scottish politicians have the courage to decriminalise drugs, but Westminster is too timid to let them | Simon Jenkins

Objecting to capital punishment was once taboo too. Real change comes from politicians brave enough to speak up

The Scottish government declared last week that it wanted to decriminalise the possession of drugs for personal use. Possession of drugs in Scotland remains under the pre-devolution Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and, as the Scottish drugs policy minister Elena Whitham says, the current approach has failed". Scotland has the highest drug mortality rate in Europe. Drug use is polluting every public service from mental health and homelessness to welfare, policing and imprisonment.

Scotland is supposedly in charge of these services. Yet the central government in London absolutely refuses to allow it to touch drugs policy. It reacted to Whitham's announcement as though she were a lobbyist for the dealers. A horrified Rishi Sunak rushed out a statement reinforcing his government's tough stance" on drugs. An equally horrified Labour promptly agreed.

Simon Jenkins is a Guardian columnist