Now that it has backed down over the 10p tax band, we need the government to lose over the 42 days legislation too. Labour loyalists might balk at this but not only would it be good for our democracy, but its an incredibly bad piece of legislation.

On Monday Jackie Ashley faithfully asked loyalists to hold their nose:

For after the 10p vote will be plenty more possible crises, not least the vote over the 42-day detention proposal. On both, I am 100% against the official government view and, with every instinct, on the side of the Labour rebels. But disaster is looming and the real parliamentarians have carefully to weigh in the balance what they now do, and ask how much likelier it will make a Tory landslide a year hence.

This sort of thinking is appalling. It is the road of good intentions to hell.

As Neil said on Bleeding Heart Show last week in response:

And so it has come to this: after over a decade of mixed success in pursuing social justice – a decade where progressives were implored to ‘get real’ and ’see the bigger picture’ whenever they challenged every rightward lurch – Labour MPs are once again ordered to swallow two heinous pieces of legislation for no other reason than to retain their rather weak grip on power.

Our media is part of the problem. They’ve smelt the blood of Gordon Brown and now the sharks are circling. If he stands firm against any compromise on 42 days then they’ll exaggerate even the smallest rebellion as symptom of him losing his grip. If he compromises then they’ll publish gleeful retorts by the Tories that… he is losing his grip. Labour can’t win either way. So the only thing to do is push on ministers to do the right thing and reject the 42 days extension.

Here, the Sunday Times has come to our rescue. It published a list of MPs against and wavering on 42 days. Here’s the list:

THE REBELS

Diane Abbott;
Nick Ainger;
John Austin;
Karen Buck;
Martin Caton;
Colin Challen;
Katy Clark;
Ann Clwyd;
Jeremy Corbyn;
Jim Devine;
Andrew Dismore;
Frank Dobson;
Frank Doran;
Gwyneth Dunwoody, since deceased;
Bill Etherington;
Mark Fisher;
Paul Flynn;
Neil Gerrard;
Ian Gibson;
Roger Godsiff;
John Grogan;
David Hamilton;
Kelvin Hopkins;
Glenda Jackson;
Lynne Jones;
Peter Kilfoyle;
Chris McCafferty;
Bob Marshall-Andrews;
John McDonnell;
Michael Meacher;
Austin Mitchell;
Julie Morgan;
George Mudie;
Chris Mullin;
Gordon Prentice;
Mohammad Sarwar;
Jim Sheridan;
Alan Simpson;
Dennis Skinner;
Peter Soulsby;
David Taylor;
Emily Thornberry;
Mark Todd;
Jon Trickett;
Des Turner;
Keith Vaz;
Rudi Vis;
Bob Wareing;
David Winnick;
Michael Wood

THE WAVERERS

Graham Allen;
John Battle;
Hugh Bayley;
Anne Begg;
Roger Berry;
Lyn Brown;
Chris Bryant;
Richard Burden;
Colin Burgon;
Jim Cousins;
Ann Cryer;
John Cummings;
Ian Davidson;
Quentin Davies;
Janet Dean;
David Drew;
Paul Farrelly;
Dai Havard;
Kate Hoey;
Jim Hood;
Sian James;
Martyn Jones;
Sally Keeble;
Stephen Ladyman;
Mark Lazarowicz;
Andy Love;
Andrew Mackinlay;
Judy Mallaber;
Gordon Marsden;
Shona McIsaac;
Anne Moffat;
Madeleine Moon;
Elliot Morley;
Denis Murphy;
Gwyn Prosser;
Nick Raynsford;
Angela Smith;
John Smith;
Gavin Strang;
Graham Stringer;
Paul Truswell;
Joan Walley;
Betty Williams;
Tony Wright

If your MP is listed here (or even if not), Write To Them and tell them you will not vote for them if they vote for 42 days!

Please feel to circulate this list on your own blog / website

1. 42 - Chicken Yoghurt

   [...] your MP on this list? Then Write To Them. Posted on April 24th, 2008 at 6:04 [...]

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3. links for 2008-04-25 - Chicken Yoghurt

   [...] Liberal Conspiracy » Now we need a defeat on 42 days [...]