Jim Murphy suddenly remembers he didn't sniff glue as a youngster

Last night the Scottish Labour leader said he 'couldn't remember' whether he sniffed glue as a teenager but today he issued a statement denying he had

Jim Murphy became the new leader of the Scottish Labour Party in December (Getty) (Getty Images)

Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy was forced to deny that he sniffed glue as a teenager growing up in Glasgow, hours after telling students he could not remember whether he had tried it.

It came as the leaders of the three other main parties in Scotland, including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, admitted taking cannabis as youngsters in a live debate in front of an audience of Glasgow University students last night.

Mr Murphy, who has failed to reverse Labour’s decline north of the border since he became leader last year, said: ““When I was young on the housing estate I grew up in glue sniffing was the thing to do. Sniffing glue out of a crisp packet.”

"It was a dreadful, harmful thing that was in that community at the time."

Asked if he had tried it, he replied: "I don't remember,” adding: "I think a lot of people are judging me here tonight."

However yesterday his spokesman issued a statement denying he had ever sniffed glue or taken any other drugs.

"Just to be clear, Mr Murphy has never taken drugs,” the spokesman said. “The point he was making at the Glasgow University debate was that when he was growing up drugs weren't as widespread and that the harmful thing for many people back then was glue sniffing.

"For the record that's not something Mr Murphy has tried either."

Nicola Sturgeon said taking cannabis had made her 'awfully sick' (AFP/Getty Images)

Asked whether she had ever smoked cannabis, SNP leader Ms Sturgeon, who studied at Glasgow University, said she “might’ve at this university once” but said it made her “awfully sick”.

Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Tories, also admitted trying cannabis. She said: "I went to Buckhaven High School, what do you think? I'm with Nicola, once or twice and it made me feel really sick."

Will Rennie, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said he had taken cannabis “in my youthful days”.

Sniffing glue was a widespread social problem that hit Glasgow in the 1970s and 1980s. Although the practice of glue-sniffing has declined as it was surpassed by other forms of drugs, healthcare experts have warned that the problem is being overlooked in the fight against drugs in the city.