Brown faces revolt over Terror Bill; But PM stays defiant over detention policy.Byline: BY GAVIN CORDON Daily Post Correspondent A DEFIANT Gordon Brown yesterday vowed to stick to his principles over extending the pre-charge detention of terrorist suspects in the face of a threatened revolt by Labour MPs. As MPs returned following the Whitsun break, the Prime Minister sought to reassure critics, insisting new safeguards had been introduced in the Counter Terrorism Bill to protect civil liberties. But, at the same time, he said the increasing "complexity and sophistication so·phis·ti·cate v. so·phis·ti·cat·ed, so·phis·ti·cat·ing, so·phis·ti·cates v.tr. 1. To cause to become less natural, especially to make less naive and more worldly. 2. " of investigations made it "inevitable" that at some point police would need the power to hold suspects for up to 42 days. "I have tried to build consensus around our proposals, but I am determined we stick to our principles," he told a Downing Street Downing Street, Westminster, London, England. On the street are the British Foreign Office and, at No. 10, the residence of the first lord of the Treasury, who is usually (although not necessarily) the prime minister of Great Britain. news conference. With around 50 Labour MPs thought to be unhappy with the plans - and the Tories and Liberal Democrats both firmly opposed to the 42-day extension - the Government's 65-seat majority is potentially vulnerable. However, the Democratic Unionists (DUP DUP (in Northern Ireland) Democratic Unionist Party ) hold a potential lifeline, suggesting their nine MPs could back the Government. DUP MP Nigel Dodds Nigel Alexander Dodds, OBE, MP, MLA, BL (born Derry, August 20, 1958) is a barrister and Northern Ireland unionist politician. He is a Member of the British Parliament for Belfast North, and a member of the Democratic Unionist Party. said the situation was "fluid" and the party remained "open to persuasion" by the Government. "If they can show there is a real, demonstrable need in terms of national security for the measures they are proposing - with all the safeguards and checks and balances they are proposing as well - that is something we will look at very seriously," he said. Meanwhile, Tory Ann Widdecombe Ann Noreen Widdecombe (born 4 October 1947) is a British Conservative Party politician. She is the Member of Parliament for Maidstone and The Weald and a Privy Counsellor. She is a prominent member of the Conservative Christian Fellowship and an outspoken supporter of traditional said she was prepared to defy her party and vote with the Government, as long as there was a "sunset clause" requiring the legislation to be renewed each year. "If we have a state of emergency, then the Government should be able to ask Parliament for emergency powers," she said. At a Downing Street news conference, Mr Brown said that the scale of the terrorist threat meant that the existing 28-day limit for holding suspects without charge was not enough. Labour rebels said, however, that they remained determined to oppose the measure, even though defeat would further damage Mr Brown at a time when his authority has been eroded by the 10p tax debacle and election reverses. I have tried to build consensus around our proposals CAPTION(S): Gordon Brown yesterday |
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