Government Defeated on Terror Bill

8.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 9th Nov 2005

Blair - plans in jeapordy?

Tony Blair and his Government last night suffered a humiliating defeat over his plan to allow the police to detain suspected terrorists for up to 90 days without charge. Mr Blair's first Commons defeat since coming to power in 1997 was heavier than expected and provoked speculation at Westminster about how long he could remain Prime Minister.

After staking his authority on the police's request for greater detention powers Mr Blair sat grim-faced and shaking his head in the Commons as it was announced that the 90-day detention plan had been rejected by 322 votes to 291. A total of 49 Labour backbenchers joined the Tories and Liberal Democrats to reject the proposal in favour of a much lower 28 day limit. The Bill past its third reading earlier this evening and has now moved to the House of Lords where it is expected to face a rough ride.

Reacting to the vote, Charles Kennedy MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats said "This is a good day for parliamentary democracy. It was the Prime Minister who chose to make this issue into one of confidence- and it's a bad day for his authority. This is now a chastened Prime Minister and this should lead to a reassertion of collective cabinet government. The government must come back and tell us what it is going to do. Tony Blair must realise that 35% of the vote in a General Election does not allow him to ride roughshod over democracy in the House of Commons."

Local parliamentary spokesman Chris Took said "I am delighted that this increasingly authoritarian Government has finally been defeated. Mr. Blair is solely responsible for this defeat by refusing to seek compromise with opposition parties."

"I sincerely hope that Blair's future 'plans' for Ashford and the rest of the UK are now placed in real jeapordy, we need proper debate over issues such as health and education; not the pushy whim of a lame duck leader desperately seeking a 'legacy.'"