A second Oxfordshire MP has admitted to illegal drug use. Boris Johnson, the Conservative MP for Henley, admitted to smoking cannabis - joining his Wantage Tory colleague Robert Jackson in confessing to using the drug.

He came clean as Oxfordshire's MPs welcomed Home Secretary David Blunkett's decision to downgrade cannabis from Class B to Class C, meaning it is no longer an arrestable offence.

In contrast to Mr Johnson's honesty, Oxford East Labour MP Andrew Smith and Witney's Tory MP David Cameron both ducked the question.

Banbury's Conservative MP Tony Baldry and Oxford West and Abingdon Liberal Democrat Evan Harris both deny ever touching the drug.

Mr Johnson said: "I have smoked cannabis on a few occasions at university and later. But it never really did anything for me. I just can't get to grips with smoking. I'd much rather have a drink.

"But I'm in favour of relaxing the law. I don't believe in the Government interfering in people's lives unnec- essarily."

Mr Jackson, who confessed to youthful cannabis use several months ago in the Oxford Mail, said Mr Blunkett's move opened up opportunities to make greater use of the drug in medicines.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Mr Smith declined to comment on whether he had ever used cannabis. His spokesman said: "This is not the sort of thing that Andrew Smith would want to comment on."

But he welcomed the fact the police would be able to concentrate on combating hard drugs such as heroin and cocaine.

Mr Cameron also ducked the question, saying: "I'm human enough to have done many things I should not in my youth, but politician enough not to admit to all of them."

Mr Baldry, who has never indulged, said the move should allow the police to concentrate on the real danger of hard drugs.

Dr Harris said: "I'm one of the few MPs who can say they have never smoked cannabis. This is a sensible measure, especially in terms of its medical use."