Mick Hartley

Terror Laws

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Mick Hartley

in

So – it’s 28 days.

Prime Minister Tony Blair has lost the key House of Commons vote on plans to allow police to hold terror suspects without charge for up to 90 days.

MPs rejected the plans by 322 votes to 291 – a bigger than expected majority of 31. It is Mr Blair’s first defeat since Labour came to power in 1997.

The defeat will be seen as a blow to the authority of Mr Blair, who said MPs had a “duty” to support the police.

MPs later backed a compromise detention time limit of 28 days.

I wonder – if Blair had originally pushed for 28 days instead of 90, would he have got it?

The BBC vote results are currently showing 41% supporting 90 days, 6% 42 days, 24% 28 days, and 29% for keeping it at 9 days. That’s 71% supporting an increase. Surprising.

Comments

  1. Eamonn Avatar
    Eamonn

    There are MPs who are voting on national security not on the basis of whether the proposals will make us more or less safe, but on the basis that they will never forgive Tony Blair for liberating Iraq from tyranny. Sobering really. As you say, the fact that the vast majority of MPs support an increase just underlines how this crucial vote was undertaken with little focus on the issue itself, but rather (for Labour rebels and Lib Dems anyway)an opportunity to “get” Blair for being a chum of George Bush.
    Also interesting how the same MPs who cited public opinion when criticising our presence in Iraq are now strangely silent on public opinion which is clearly with the Prime Minister on this issue.
    It will also be interesting to see the Conservatives, if and when they get into power, bringing in similar measures, even though they voted against the present proposals!

    Reply

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