This week Prime Minister Gordon Brown narrowly won a House of Commons vote on extending the maximum time police can hold terror suspects to 42 days. The vote, which was officially opposed by the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, and 36 of Labour's back-bench rebels, will now have to survive a battle in the House of Lords before it can be implemented. Upon learning of the Governments victory, members of parliament were also shocked to learn of the resignation of Shadow Home Secretary David Davis in protest at the result. A decision for which the MP has received much mixed support and criticism about.
As a Conservative and a supporter of the 42 day proposal I have felt utterly compelled to express my gladness at Davis' resignation, and yet sadness that he is being branded as exemplary by members of the extreme left. Davis has never really had a place on the front bench of the new and improved Conservative Party, and I feel in all sincerity that even he himself new this. I suppose it was polite of David Cameron, upon winning leadership of the Conservatives, to offer Davis the place of Home Secretary, but come on let's get real. I mean how can a man such as he possibly lead the fight against home-grown terrorism and extremism in the same way in which Charles Clarke used to; there is simply no comparison.
The labelling of Davis as integral because of his decision to step down has really got up my nose these past few days, when the only REAL Conservative integral enough to do the right thing and vote with the Government is a one Ann Widdecombe MP. A woman who clearly sees that doing the right thing for ones country is more important than unquestionable loyalty to ones party. After all what's integral about playing party politics, trying to gain the vote of a few liberal idiots at the next general, when the national security of the state is at stake. In every poll taken over the issue, only around 30% of the public have shown to oppose the bill while around 65% support it; and yet somehow the Government has had to rely on Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionists to get the bill through Parliament. So much for representing your constituents Tories...
Many people in recent days have suggested concern over the 'taking of our rights' by the Government, saying that 42 day detention is an infringement of our civil liberties. One argument in particular which I found to be the most flawed was given by a well respected Conservative MP, a man who I myself admittedly admire. His argument was that further demeaning our civil liberties would be a great victory for extremism, and that terror should only be fought without undermining our liberties. But how exactly? And surely it would only be a victory for extremists if the denying of our liberties was somehow Islamic related, i.e. a national ban on alcohol, a ban on the education of women. Not that terror suspects can be held for two weeks more than currently held in extreme circumstances, and that's all it is- 2 weeks more. The very notion that we should deny many weapons in the fight against extremism merely due to philosophical principle, I find to be highly questionable...
(Picture 1: An armed Police Officer at Whitehall, London.)
(Picture 2: Ex-Shadow Home Secretary David Davis.)
