BRITAIN: Would-be British Conservative Party leader David Cameron yesterday again side-stepped a challenge to state whether or not he had used drugs during his university days.
Arriving at a teacher awards ceremony at London's Theatre Royal, the shadow education secretary said he was focused on making his case for succeeding Michael Howard as Conservative leader, and that he was attracting widespread support.
"It is time actually to get on with what really matters in this leadership election campaign," insisted Mr Cameron.
"Which is to ask which is the candidate best placed to modernise the Conservative Party, to reach out to voters that haven't supported us before, to be an effective Opposition, and to win the next election? That's what I'm focused on, that's the big issue, that's where I think the polls show I have got an advantage."
Earlier Mr Cameron's strongest rival for the leadership, shadow home secretary David Davis, insisted that he had not been seeking to exploit Mr Cameron's difficulties. Appearing on the Jonathan Dimbleby programme on ITV, Mr Davis said he had told his supporters to steer clear of the issue.
"I've said to them almost on a . . . daily basis, do not go anywhere near this issue, stay away from it, it's not an issue that we want to run, it's not an issue where this contest should be decided," said Mr Davis.
Pressed on whether his team is "disobeying" him if they brief on the issue, Mr Davis replied: "Yes, absolutely."
Earlier, the drugs controversy took a new twist after newspapers printed a picture of a youthful George Osborne with his arm around a woman described as a "cocaine-snorting hooker". The shadow chancellor - a close ally of Mr Cameron - denied taking drugs with Natalie Rowe.
Another leadership candidate, former chancellor Kenneth Clarke, said he did not believe the row had damaged Mr Cameron's prospects.
"It really is quite absurd that any of the candidates were asked to start describing their private lives in former times."
The first ballot, which will whittle down the four-strong field to three - the other contender is shadow foreign secretary Liam Fox - will take place tomorrow.
"I think I have got enough to come first or second on Thursday," said Mr Clarke.
Mr Clarke's campaign received a boost when Andrew Lansley, the shadow health secretary, said he was backing the former chancellor.