Rory Stewart will continue his Tory party leadership campaign in tomorrow’s debate on Channel 4. Much of the contest so far has centred on whether the candidates have taken illegal drugs.

By my reckoning, two of the final 10 said they have never used anything stronger than Vicks VapoRub.

Four said they tried cannabis in their youth.

Jeremy Hunt had a cannabis lassi when backpacking in India.

My confusion diminished when I realised that a lassi is a yoghurt-based drink, not a dog.

Michael Gove used cocaine when working as a journalist.

Rory Stewart smoked opium at a wedding in Afghanistan.

In a 2007 interview, Boris Johnson admitted to trying cocaine and cannabis at university.

This week he has been tight-lipped: unlike when those cannabis joints were being passed around.

The coyness of some candidates highlights society’s confused attitude to alcohol and illegal drugs.

Nigel Farage’s man-of-the-people image relies largely on the notion that he likes a pint.

If he was seen as the kind of chap who likes a joint, much of his support would vanish.

The theory is that cannabis is a “gateway drug” to more dangerous substances.

I’ve never been sure about this. If you see somebody sipping a pint of bitter, do you grab it from their hand because the next step could be a bottle of meths?

In the days when he was unafraid to express an opinion, Boris Johnson wrote about a night on Botchergate and the drunken excess he witnessed there.

Stating that his priority is to cut taxes for those earning over £50,000 made me wonder if Boris has been back to Botchergate for a brain-storming session.

Local politicians are also capable of making people wonder what they’re taking.

In last month’s election for Silloth Town Council, Karen Groucott won enough votes to be elected - more votes than her husband Paul who was also standing.

But when the returning officer read out Paul’s name by mistake, electoral law dictated that the result must stand.

Paul resigned so that Karen could take his place. But Silloth councillors have voted to co-opt Paul Donald onto the council instead of Karen - even though he didn’t stand in the election.

A decision like that is too bizarre to blame on alcohol. It’s more like the result of sniffing marker pens.

The weirdest thing of all when it comes to politicians and intoxicating substances: Donald Trump is teetotal.