Recent Detention (28 days) Articles

Isn’t it time to abandon New Labour?

It’s difficult to say anything new about Gordon Brown’s attempts to extend pre-detention charge to 42 days, though if you want to read two accounts made recently, Anthony Barnett at OurKingdom and Martin O’Neill at New Statesman are a great start.

There are those who see the-Muslim-terrorist-threat-that-may-wipe-out-western-civilisation as so big that locking up British (Muslim) citizens for 90 days without charging them is not far enough. I’m not going to bother repudiating them. I’m not even going to bother answering those apparently on the left who are strenuously defending this stupid piece of legislation that, for once, has the entire left-wing and right-wing press united in opposition. Oh, apart from The Sun and the Daily Express, just so you know.

So why is Gordon Brown still stubbornly going ahead with it?
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My Own Little Bunny Rabbit…

Welcome to Casting the net, Liberal Conspiracy’s daily web review. As always, please feel free to share your own recommendations in the comments.

Brad Hicks and Meral Ece have two contrasting reactions to Hillary’s concession of the Democrat candidacy. Brad is full of righteous anger, Meral was more inspired.

The BBC reports that some MPs have realised that ID Cards could threaten privacy. In other news, the sky is blue, and the pope shits in the woods.

Over at my blog, a reminder of what we are actually talking about with the 42 days detention plan. Especially depressing in the light of the ICM poll that we reported here yesterday.

Jonathan Calder has tactical suggestions for Lib Dems on how to deal with David Cameron – we should hug him, and stroke him, and cuddle him, and sing to him, and call him Dave; PeeZedTee, meanwhile, has advice for Gordon Brown.

Lynne Featherstone, the relentless reformer, wanted to lower the voting age to 16; the Tories had other ideas.

And finally, Neil Gaiman and Philip Pullman are both getting involved with a campaign to say no to age banding on children’s books.

Poll backs 42 days

A Sunday Telegraph poll last night showed the public firmly behind plans for 42-day detention. Gordon Brown will refuse to offer any new concessions to Labour MPs.

42 days would breach law

The government’s concessions on 42-day pre-charge detention for terrorism suspects have left the legislation in breach of human rights law, the joint select committee on human rights will say today.

Brown to yield on 42 days

The government is preparing to offer Labour MPs a major concession to avoid losing a vote on terror detentions, the BBC has learned. It is to suggest halving the period during which police can enact these extra powers from 60 to 30 days.

MPs won’t give way on 42 days

Gordon Brown faces yet more pressure as rebel Labour MPs warned they will not give ground in their battle to prevent an extension of anti-terror laws. Next month’s Commons debates on the Counter Terrorism Bill will be a severe test of the Prime Minister’s embattled leadership, says the Independent.

42 days is dead

I have a strong feeling that the government’s plans to extend pre-charge detention to 42 days, which we’ve been running a campaign against, is dead in the water.

There are two reasons for my optimism.
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Home Office wants to save face

Ministers have paved the way for further concessions on plans to hold terrorist suspects for up to 42 days without charge in an attempt to avert another rebellion by Labour MPs, reports The Times.

Brown presses on with 42 days

Gordon Brown today vowed to press ahead with plans to extend detention without trial beyond 28 days.

Shami Chakrabarti on 42 days

The liberty director has written a comment piece for the Times newspaper on why Gordon Brown needs to do a U-turn on terror