Stephanie Dearden
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Tooting
Tel: 020-7771-2551 or 07985649807
PRESS RELEASES
Thursday, 10th November 2005
Government Defeated Over Terror Laws
Tony Blair and the Government last night suffered a humiliating defeat over
his plan to allow the police to detain suspected terrorists for up to 90 days
without charge. Mr Blair's first Commons defeat since coming to power in 1997
was heavier than expected and provoked speculation at Westminster about how long
he could remain Prime Minister. After staking his authority on the police's
request for greater detention powers Mr Blair sat grim-faced and shaking his
head in the Commons as it was announced that the 90-day detention plan had been
rejected by 322 votes to 291. A total of 49 Labour backbenchers joined the
Tories and Liberal Democrats to reject the proposal in favour of a much lower 28
day limit. The Bill past its third reading this afternoon and has now moved to
the House of Lords where it is expected to face a rough ride.
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Tooting, Stephanie
Dearden said:-
This is a good day for parliamentary democracy. It was
the Prime Minister who chose to make this issue into one of confidence- and it’s
a bad day for his authority. This is now a chastened Prime Minister and this
should lead to a reassertion of collective cabinet government. The government
must come back and tell us what it is going to do. Tony Blair must realise that
35% of the vote in a General Election does not allow him to ride roughshod over
democracy in the House of Commons.
This is a humiliation for the Prime Minister, and a defeat for an increasingly
authoritarian Government. Mr. Blair's refusal to reach a compromise with the
opposition parties and his own backbenchers has led to this defeat.
ENDS
Stephanie Dearden
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Tooting
Notes to editors