Sir Keir Starmer refused to say whether he had taken drugs 14 times during an interview with Piers Morgan.
Speaking to the presenter for an upcoming episode of ITV's Life Stories programme, the Labour leader, was asked about claims he was a “party animal” at university.
Mr Morgan asked the 48-year-old: “Have you ever dabbled in anything stronger than alcohol?
“You did not spend all your time at Leeds University in the library, did you? So, a cheeky spliff here and there?”
In comments carried by The Sun, Sir Keir replied: “We worked hard and played hard.”
When the former director of public prosecutions was pressed for more detail, he said: “Drugs weren’t my thing.”
Mr Morgan pressed him, insisting he should give a “yes or no” response”.
He said: “Given your clear reluctance to give me a straight, simple answer, am I right in assuming from your response that you have tried drugs but that you didn’t actually like them and didn’t want to take any more?
"I’m not saying it was your thing, but you did try it. I mean, you’re reluctant to just say yes. You haven’t said no.”
Sir Keir replied: “I haven’t said no.”
He was also asked how many sexual partners he had before meeting his wife, Victoria, to which he joked he did not want to “do a Nick Clegg,” referring to how the former Liberal Democrat leader told Mr Morgan in 2008 he had slept with as many as 30 women.
In the interview, which will air at 9.30pm on 1 June, Sir Keir also said a government under his leadership would make improving education and creating an economy that deals with insecurity and inequality its top priorities.
He said: "These are the big ticket items coming out of the pandemic. They were the big ticket items before but now they are just more brutally exposed."
