LONDON, 9 November 2005 — British Prime Minister Tony Blair is risking his political standing by insisting that the 90 days detention without charge provision of the Terrorism Bill will stand today’s crucial vote in the House of Commons.
Confident that the risk is worth taking, Blair dismissed suggestions that if he loses the vote then it could be construed as a ‘vote of no confidence’ in his government. In his eight years in power, Prime Minister Blair has not lost a single parliamentary vote.
Blair and his Home Secretary Charles Clarke are confident that MPs will back government plans to allow police to hold terror suspects without charge for up to 90 days, although they also have a “fall back” position of 60 days.
On Monday, Blair with his characteristic charm persuaded Labour MPs that the 90 days provision is crucial for the police to carry out their duties in the war against terror and therefore to safeguard the British public from further suicide bombings as occurred on 7 July 2005, in which 56 people died. Any compromise on the issue, he said, would be “a compromise with the nation’s security” and anything less than the 90-day plan would be “second best” for the UK’s security.
Whether the MPs will succumb to their leader’s plea only time will tell. But John Denham, a former Home Office Minister and Chairman of the House Home Affairs Committee, yesterday conceded that the Prime Minister did indeed make a compelling argument to keep the original 90 days provision.
Polls have suggested that the majority of the British public support the 90 days without charge detention to give police the time to investigate and track down the evidence against those detained.
This has prompted opposition politicians and civil liberties groups to accuse Blair of succumbing to populist sentiments.
As a further incentive to MPs, Clarke has made “substantial concessions”, including a “sunset clause”, which would require the new laws to be renewed by Parliament after a year on a revolving basis.
Clarke in an interview with the BBC Radio urged MPs “to face up to an issue which exists now, which is of a terrorist threat to this country which is real and substantial, as tragically we saw on July 7.
“It is particularly my responsibility to face up to the challenge which is there and decide how best to deal with it. My criticism of some others is they address the environment that is around but don’t face up to that absolutely core central reality, which is a reality of modern life. And the reason why I think the people of the country, as manifested in poll after poll, support what the police are proposing in these areas is they see that reality, they understand it, and some others don’t.”
The government also received a major boost yesterday of support of rebel right wing opposition MPs, including Anne Widdecombe, who confirmed that they would not oppose the legislation.
It would be ironic that rebel Conservative MPs unhappy at the prospect of voting down powers requested by the police and backed by the public could hold the key to preventing a government defeat today.
Downing Street yesterday said that “there is a growing acceptance for 90 days but the government takes absolutely nothing for granted.”
Last week, the government delayed a vote on the new detention powers amid concern about the proposals on Labour’s back benches.
If the vote fails, senior Labour backbencher Janet Anderson will present an alternative proposal which will give MPs the option of voting for detention lasting 60 days.
The opposition Tories and Lib Dems have indicated that they will oppose the bill although individual MPs may vote against the party lines.
The Lib Dems want the maximum period in custody without charge to remain at 14 days, while the Conservatives are asking for 28 days.
