Blair defeated on terror vote

Tony Blair has been handed the first defeat of his Premiership as MPs voted against controversial plans to increase the maximum detention period for terror suspects to 90 days.

The government lost the vote by 322 votes to 291 - a majority of 31.

The vote was expected to be tight. Chancellor Gordon Brown and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw were both recalled from foreign trips – in Israel and Russia, respectively - to return to Parliament for today’s crucial vote on the Terrorism Bill.

Mr Blair had remained confident all week that MPs will back the detention measures.

Last week, the Bill narrowly avoided defeat, passing its second reading by a majority of just one. Home Secretary Charles Clarke had appeared to hint at compromise with an offer of all-party talks on the detention plans. However, the government pledged to stand firm on the 90-day proposal following a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party on Monday evening.

Mr Clarke did, however, propose a ‘sunset clause’, allowing the legislation to be examined again by Parliament in a year’s time.

Both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats were opposed to the 90-day detention proposal. The Liberal Democrats want the maximum detention period for terror suspects to remain at the current level of 14 days, while the Conservatives want it increased to no more than 28 days.

Mr Blair made an appeal to MPs to back the Bill in the Commons today, saying it was the “duty of every member of this House” to back the plans.

The Prime Minister also said that two terror plots had been foiled since the July 7 attacks in London, but he did not specify any details.

However, he did address the possible defeat of the Bill, saying: “Sometimes it is better to lose and do the right thing than win and do the wrong thing.”

There were heated exchanges between Mr Blair and the Conservative leader Michael Howard and Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy during Prime Minister’s question time. Both party leaders questioned the need to hold suspects for ninety days, while Mr Howard warned that minority ethnic communities could be alienated by the legislation.

Mr Blair said: “We are not living in a police state, but we are living in a country that faces a real and serious threat of terrorism.”

He told Mr Howard that he and his colleagues would have to make their decision today. He said: “We have made ours. We believe it’s necessary to protect our country from terrorism and I’m only sorry you don’t agree.”

MPs are now voting on a proposal, tabled by Labour MP David Winnick, to increase the maximum detention time to 28 days.

(KMcA/GB)