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CJ Cregg
Commodore
Joined: 05 Oct 2002
Posts: 1254
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 Wed Nov 09, 2005 12:30 pm Blair defeated over terror laws |
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| Quote: | 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.
Labour has a majority over other parties of 66 but the defeat does not mean Mr Blair will have to stand down as prime minister - something he has said he will do before the next election.
Liberal Democrat frontbencher Simon Hughes said the defeat marked a "momentous day" which could bring forward Mr Blair's departure from office.
"It was a major error of judgement and it undermines Mr Blair's chances of staying on," said Mr Hughes.
'No police state'
The Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and some Labour backbenchers said the 90-day plans went too far.
Civil liberties groups compared the proposal to internment - a charge rejected by ministers.
In his final plea for MPs to back the plans, Mr Blair urged MPs to take the advice of the police who had foiled two terrorist plots since the 7 July attacks in London.
In heated exchanges at prime minister's questions, Mr Blair said: "We are not living in a police state but we are living in a country that faces a real and serious threat of terrorism."
Ministers tried to reassure waverers by promising that the new laws would expire unless MPs renewed them in a year's time.
Conservative leader Michael Howard warned that the detention plans could alienate ethnic minority communities.
Shuttle diplomacy?
Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy said the measure would almost certainly be defeated in the House of Lords, where two ex-law lords had called it "intolerable".
The prime minister admitted he could lose the vote but argued: "Sometimes it is better to lose and do the right thing than to win and do the wrong thing."
In a sign of the importance given to the vote, Chancellor Gordon Brown was called back within minutes of arriving in Israel for a high profile visit.
And Foreign Secretary Jack Straw also flew back early from EU-Russia talks in Moscow.
BBC News
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Brightstar82
Rear Admiral
Joined: 08 Apr 2005
Posts: 4394
Location: A Borg Cube....Where Else?
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| Wed Nov 09, 2005 2:13 pm |
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that isnt good 
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CJ Cregg
Commodore
Joined: 05 Oct 2002
Posts: 1254
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| Wed Nov 09, 2005 2:33 pm |
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Its good news. Blair is an arse who needs to leave as soon as possible. Plus the 90 days is far too long. Thank god for the, gasp, Conservative Party.
28 days is plenty of time without charges
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Seven of Nine
Sammie's Mammy
Joined: 16 Jun 2001
Posts: 7871
Location: North East England
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| Wed Nov 09, 2005 2:58 pm |
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Yup, I'm surprised I'm thanking the Conservative party, but they did the right thing here.
28 days is about right, I think - they should be charged or released after that time.
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CJ Cregg
Commodore
Joined: 05 Oct 2002
Posts: 1254
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| Wed Nov 09, 2005 5:49 pm |
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Howard calls for Blair to resign
| Quote: | Conservative leader Michael Howard has called for Tony Blair to resign after MPs rejected the government's plan to detain terror suspects for 90 days.
Mr Howard told BBC Radio 5 Live the prime minister's authority had been "diminished" by the vote.
Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy said Mr Blair had to learn to build cross-party consensus or he would increasingly look like a "lame duck" prime minister.
Mr Blair has said he will serve a full third term before stepping down. |
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4422558.stm
He should resign, hes been PM long enough, give a better person the job
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Republican_Man
STV's Premier Conservative
Joined: 26 Mar 2004
Posts: 14823
Location: Classified
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| Wed Nov 09, 2005 6:30 pm |
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I am dissapointed in this. Not good news.
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"Rights are only as good as the willingness of some to exercise responsibility for those rights- Fmr. Colorado Senate Pres. John Andrews
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LightningBoy
Commodore
Joined: 09 Mar 2003
Posts: 1446
Location: Minnesota, U.S.A.
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| Thu Nov 10, 2005 12:05 am |
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I guess i'm not too keen on Brittish politics, but I think it's pretty hasty to call for resignation after JUST ONE rejected law.
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