I've smoked cannabis and watched porn says Tory MP but newly-elected backbencher stresses drug is a 'waste of money' during quickfire interview

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Newly-elected MP James Cleverly (pictured with wife Susannah who he when he was a student) confessed to once watching porn and taking illegal drugs during an interview on BBC Radio 5 Live

When the radio interview started, newly-elected MP James Cleverly wondered aloud: 'Am I about to kiss my political career goodbye?'

Moments later, the Tory had confessed to watching porn and taking illegal drugs – although he stressed that the latter was a waste of money.

'I had a little dabble with marijuana at university,' he admitted during the quick-fire round of questions. 

When asked whether he had inhaled, Mr Cleverly borrowed the US president's response: 'Of course ... that's the point, to paraphrase Obama.'

He continued: 'I don't recommend it, it's a waste of money, waste of time and just not very good for your future prospects.'

The father of two, who met his wife Susannah when he was a student, was less chatty when asked if he had watched online pornography, responding simply: 'Yes.'

Luckily, his constituents in Braintree, Essex, are used to colourful characters. 

Mr Cleverly replaced Brooks Newmark, who resigned as minister for civil society last September after sending explicit selfies to an undercover reporter.

Mr Cleverly said he was last sick from drinking during his time in the Army Reserve, which he left about a decade ago to run his own business. 

The MP spent 20 years in the Territorial Army, rising to the rank of major, and was later chairman of the London Fire Authority.

His interviewer John Pienaar also asked him to play 'snog, marry, avoid' during his appearance on BBC Radio 5 Live. 

The 46-year-old said he would kiss singer Rita Ora and Home Secretary Theresa May, while he would rather marry Labour's Yvette Cooper and avoid David Cameron's biographer Isabel Oakeshott.

When asked who should replace Mr Cameron as party leader, Mr Cleverly backed himself, using what he called 'the Nicky Morgan defence'.

The Education Secretary, a mother of one, put herself forward as a possible successor to the Prime Minister this summer, but stressed: 'A lot of it will depend on family ... in the sense that being leader of the party is so all-consuming.'

Mr Cleverly's answer should avert any awkward encounters with other senior Tories – but one of his colleagues may not have been so lucky. 

The father of two, who met his wife Susannah when he was a student, admitted to having a 'little dabble with marijuana at university' but said 'it's a waste of money, waste of time and not very good for future prospects'

Another new Tory MP, Heidi Allen, gave some rather forthright answers on a radio interview during the Conservative party conference.

She dismissed George Osborne as 'too smooth' and painted a bizarre image of Boris Johnson naked and 'wrestling fish with Vladimir Putin'.

Apparently anticipating media reaction to his comments on cannabis, Mr Cleverly tweeted last night: 'Shorter headline for you – 'James Cleverly was once 20'.'

His fellow smoker Mr Obama confessed to taking marijuana at college in his 1995 memoir – and went on to win two presidential elections.