Danny Kushlick is a British political activist and founder of the
Transform Drug Policy Foundation
Transform Drug Policy Foundation (Transform) is a registered non-profit charity based in the United Kingdom working in drug policy reform. As an independent think tank, Transform works to promote public health, social justice and human rights t ...
(TDPF).
He has appeared in British media on many occasions advocating for the legalisation of drug use and the legal regulation of supply. He stood in the
2010 United Kingdom general election
The 2010 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday 6 May 2010, to elect 650 Members of Parliament (or MPs) to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons. The first to be held after the minimum age for candidates was ...
for
The People's Manifesto.
Career
Kushlick founded the
Transform Drug Policy Foundation
Transform Drug Policy Foundation (Transform) is a registered non-profit charity based in the United Kingdom working in drug policy reform. As an independent think tank, Transform works to promote public health, social justice and human rights t ...
in 1994,
and was the organisation's head of external affairs and director. He left in 2019. He has previously worked with various support organisations, covering
learning difficulties, unemployed ex-offenders, drug counselling, and homelessness.
In 2004, he co-authored the report ''After the War on Drugs: Options for Control'', a critique of current drug policy in the UK and recommendations for reform.
He is a regular commentator on drug policy in print and broadcast media – including BBC, Guardian, Observer, OpenDemocracy, Chatham House Magazine (World Today).
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.
At Mark Thomas's show at the
Royal National Theatre
The National Theatre (NT), officially the Royal National Theatre and sometimes referred to in international contexts as the National Theatre of Great Britain, is a performing arts venue and associated theatre company located in London, England, ...
on 7 April 2010, a selection of policies were directly put forward to Kushlick by members of the audience.
In his
party platform
A political party platform (American English), party program, or party manifesto (preferential term in British and often Commonwealth English) is a formal set of principal goals which are supported by a political party or individual candidate, t ...
, Kushlick said he would avoid taking the UK to war, and stated that "the most important 'special relationship' isn't with the US, but with your mum".
Kushlick has also been interviewed and cited by many authors on the subject of
drug policy reform
Drug liberalization is a drug policy process of decriminalizing, legalizing, or repealing laws that prohibit the production, possession, sale, or use of prohibited drugs. Variations of drug liberalization include drug legalization, drug releg ...
.
Personal life
Kushlick has two daughters and lives in
Whitehall, Bristol
Whitehall is a predominantly residential neighbourhood in the east of Bristol, England. It is an informally-defined area centred on Whitehall Road and bordering the neighbourhoods of Crofts End to the north, Speedwell to the east, St George to ...
.
References
Further reading
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British drug policy reform activists
British political candidates
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)