LONDON, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- Senior party members in Britain are still backing conservative leader David Cameron despite the disclosure that he smoked pot as a schoolboy.
Cameron has not denied the disclosure that he was disciplined for using marijuana at Eton College when he was 15 years old, The Independent reported Monday.
"Like many people, I did things when I was young that I shouldn't have done and that I regret," Cameron said in a brief statement. "But I do believe that politicians are entitled to a past that remains private."
Former party leader William Hague told a Sunday morning interview program the disclosure made no difference to him.
"He is an all-round effective politician," said Hague. "He is the best positioned to take the Conservative Party into government."
Despite support from top conservatives, Cameron could be vulnerable on the drug issue at the next election.
His probable rival, Gordon Brown, has made it clear he has never taken illicit drugs.
