PROOF has emerged that Tory MP Ross Thomson was tricked by a TV crew into taking a stand against a fake drug delivery app BEFORE his claims on Question Time.
Thomson was appearing on Channel 4's spoof programme Ministry of Justice which, like Brass Eye before it, attempts to trick well-kent figues into backing absurd causes.
In an episode broadcast last Thursday, the Aberdeen MP appeared to believe that a fake app called "InstantGrammes" not only assisted in the delivery of illegal drugs, but that the cash made from it went on to support children working with the Colombian drugs cartel in South America.
Most embarrassingly for Thomson was that he seems to have repeated one of the comedy claims made by the funnymen when he appeared on the BBC’s Question Time.
He claimed you can get cocaine faster than a takeaway pizza in Glasgow when the show came to Scotland in October, and that drugs could be ordered through a fancy app.
Many had wondered whether or not Thomson had picked up the bizarre claim from the hoax programme, and now a tweet has come to light that confirms he did.
Thomson tweeted in May: "Was great to take part in a new @Channel4 documentary series. We discussed the real problem of the rise in consumption of illegal drugs, what the government needs to do to tackle the supply through apps and what the SNP government needs to do to reduce drug deaths in Scotland."
📺 Was great to take part in a new @Channel4 documentary series. We discussed the real problem of the rise in consumption of illegal drugs, what the government needs to do to tackle the supply through apps and what the SNP government needs to do to reduce drug deaths in Scotland. pic.twitter.com/WUZKSbUxTm
— Ross Thomson MP (@RossThomson_MP) May 23, 2018
Twitter users pointed out the cameraman is trying to suppress his laughter and we can't blame him.
Thomson was recorded as saying that the app made ordering drugs "look cool", and did not at any point question the legitimacy of the app.
Most people approached by the film crew immediately spotted the deception, with SNP MP Kirsty Blackman saying it was a “blindingly obvious prank”.
She added: “This is an astonishing display of poor judgement, even by Ross Thomson’s standards. The issue of drug abuse and addiction incredibly serious, and it is vital that MPs educate themselves on facts presented by reputable organisations.”
Thomson has now written a piece for the Press and Journal, which published the original story, saying he was "duped, 100%".
📝 I have to hold my hands up, I was duped, 100%. I obviously feel foolish, but the subject of tackling illegal drugs I one I genuinely care about. We need to debate these issues properly - and I hope this sorry episode does not distract from that. pic.twitter.com/TXeuZ8YZkD
— Ross Thomson MP (@RossThomson_MP) December 6, 2018
He added: "I reacted in a way that many people might – I was shocked and I said so.
"I also made observations about the way in which the smartphone app was presented – to make it appear ‘cool’ to young people.
"It is now clear that the whole thing was a scam – along very similar lines to the ‘Brass Eye’ satirical show in the late 1990s, on which various politicians and celebrities were conned into believing that a brand new drug was on the market. Obviously, this all makes me feel very foolish."
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