David Davis resigns over 42 days detention.

[Gromit]

He has forced a bye-election at an uncomfortable time for Brown

"Shadow home secretary David Davis has resigned as an MP.
He is to force a by-election in his Haltemprice and Howden constituency which he will fight on the issue of the new 42-day terror detention limit.
Mr Davis told reporters outside the House of Commons he believed his move was a "noble endeavour" to stop the erosion of British civil liberties."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7450627 .stm

Noble act or turning the thumb screws on Brown in what is a safe seat for the Tories?
Could this backfire and his constituents see this as wasting their time and not vote for him and let the Lib Dems in?

[jake-the-peg]

I don't recall the Tories thinking that the "suss" laws or the SPG were such a problem to civil liberties!

Sounds like a cynical attempt to raise his own personal profile to me - If past experience is anything to go by in the Tory Party he'll also be sharpening a dagger for Cameron's back.

I smell a man who's not given up hope of becoming PM himself!

[vehelpfulguy]

It is all well and good David Davis having principles about civil liberties etc.

But at the moment we are at WAR with would be terrorists who live in this country (and other countries) and as we can see by court cases that are going on at this very moment, these are very dangerous people.

During the first world war AND the second world war many people of German birth were locked up for the duration of the war.

Did people shout civil liberties then. Probably not, because they knew that these people may be spies and try to destroy our way of life.

Well we have people in this country NOW who are trying to destroy our way of life and if it means keeping some people in prison for a few days while we find out if they are a terrorist or not then I am in favour of it.

Rather that than having both my legs blown off by a bomb, or have my wife or children killed by some suicide bomber.

[4GS]

I said a wee while back there there may soon b e a vote of no confidence in Brown.

My spider sense it tingling like a mad 'un now

[R1Geezer]

dunno Gromit, what does the Mail say?

[ludwig]

It doesn't seem to make much sense does it - it's a safe seat so he's not really putting any pressure on Brown if he wins. As Jake says, cynical profile raising is the most likely explanation.

[jake-the-peg]

You're wrong Vhelpfulguy

Internment was a HUGE issue in the US.

Even Hoover opposed it!

Over here:

I shall not feel happy, either as an Englishman or as a supporter of this Government, until this bespattered page of our history has been cleaned up and rewritten.

The MP Peter Cazalet, speaking about internment in the House of Commons during the war.

[R1Geezer]

"cynical, profile raising"

That'll be "politics" then!

[jno]

it seems he's putting pressure on the Tories, not Labour: Cameron has refused to promise to abolish the 42-day limit if he gets into power, and Davis doesn't like it. It's hard to see what he personally has to gain from chucking in his job. Cameron would keep his job even if he lost the next election, so Davis has no hope of getting it; he did, however, have a good chance of becoming home secretary and now he won't.

The 42-day business is entirely political willy-waving by party leaders to show how hard they are. The police and security services haven't asked for it, and as far as I know nobody has suggested a single instance of evidence that went undiscovered after 28 days that would have been found in 14 days more.

[dundurn]

I don't know the position in WWI but in WWII some of the internments were 'knee jerk' reactions to the fact that we were at war with Germany and Italy. Many of the people moved to the Isle of Man were Jewish refugees from Fascism who had better reasons to support us in the war than many of the native British. Many were released before the end of the war when the powers that be realised how stupid it was.
On the other hand lots of second and third generation immigrants with German or Italian names found themselves deeply unpopular and may have been safer in internment. One part of my family had an Italian name and all adopted either their mother's or their grandmother's maiden name to get rid of the stigma. Just like the Saxe-Coburg-Gothas and the Battenbergs becoming the Windsors and the Mountbattens in WWI.

[sandmaster]

Like many I think terrorists deserve no mercy - but - habeas corpus was won after a tremendous fight and sacrifice by past generations. We should not let our freedom erode because of the actions of a few. I don't trust any UK govenrment these days - central or local. Local authorities are already misusing laws designed against terrorism to snoop on ordianry citizens.
Politicians can never be trusted and the present laws are designed to protect us from them.

[Paul22118]

Lib Dems have come out and said they will not field a candidate. Looks like a real head to head Conservative versus Labour, with all the other nutters of course.
I think this is all leading to a vote of no confidence in the PM which will be brought on by a massive win for DD.....maybe.

[Gromit]

It does appear that the Lib Dems will not field a candidate. Can't help think that that is a mistake. A lot of people will regard this as a stunt, and a backlash could have gone their way.

Last Election:

Conservative - 22,792 votes
Liberal Dem - 17,676 votes

[jno]

yes, I think the Lib Dems have looked a gift horse in the mouth here. Presumably they're thinking that the public will conclude the whole thing is a ridiculous stunt and won't waste time turning out to vote. Maybe this will prove correct.

[Gromit]

Labour it now transpires, are not going to fight this election. It now looks like he has let Brown off the hook, and that he is only damaging himself, his leader and his party.
Another Tory own goal.

[bimbim]

The man's a hero! Give him his due

[sp1214]

What a plonker and I thought he was quite with it. The worst thing that can now happen is to be beaten at the by-election and give Gordon a helping hand. At best he can be re-elected, the status quo will still exist and his one vote amongst the 630 will have the same effect.

[Gromit]

Everybody has pulled out except Davis and the Monster Raving Looney Party. It could be close.

[4GS]

Kelvin McKenzie the 'editor' of some comic masquerading as a newspaper (The Sun) is now standing for election.

You couldn't make it up could you?