City Labour MPs support 42 days

CONTROVERSIAL government moves to hold terror suspects for 42 days without charge have been backed by city Labour MPs.

Alison Seabeck for Plymouth Devonport and Linda Gilroy for Plymouth Sutton support the Prime Minister's plan to extend the period suspects may be held without trial.

But Tory MP for South West Devon Gary Streeter is opposed to extending the detention period beyond the current 28 days, arguing there is no the need.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said she was hopeful of victory in a crunch vote today, when a rebellion by Labour backbenchers threatens to inflict the first Commons defeat of Gordon Brown's premiership.

Shadow Home Secretary David Davis claimed that Labour whips were turning Wednesday's division into a vote of confidence in the Prime Minister.

Speaking ahead of the vote Ms Seabeck said: “There are a number of cases now which are knocking up against 27 and 28 days.

“I would prefer to have it in the back pocket with all the considerable concessions to ensure civil liberties are protected.

“Because clearly we do not want to run the risk of being in a position where we have to let a suspected terrorist go free because we run out of time.”

But Mr Streeter, who sits on the Home Affairs Select Committee which has examined the issue in detail, said: “I don't think we should be legislating now on the basis of what may possibly happen in the future.

“We have to balance security with civil liberties. Twenty-eight days is around the right balance at the moment. Of course we must keep it under review.”

Safeguards offered by the Government for parliamentary checks were “utterly meaningless”. “There will be no information to scrutinise any decision. It's fanciful,” Mr Streeter said.

But Mrs Gilroy supports an extension because of the complexity of the current terrorist threat.

“Being ahead of what could happen in the future, rather than legislating in difficult situations that might arise, is better,” she said.

Mrs Gilroy added: “The Government has moved a long, long way to accommodate the concerns which should rightly be debated, about protections for people who may be detained.”

Some 50 Labour MPs have voiced concern about the proposed new police powers, but it is unclear how many have been won over by new safeguards announced by Ms Smith last week to prevent them being used in an arbitrary fashion.

Mr Brown could survive a rebellion by as many as 35 Labour MPs if he can secure the support of the Democratic Unionist Party and some Tories, such as Ann Widdecombe, who want the detention limit extended.

Counter-terrorism minister Tony McNulty said: “I think common sense will prevail and Parliament will pass it.”

However, the proposals could face an even tougher battle to get through the Lords, where former Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer and ex-Attorney General Lord Goldsmith have been leading critics.

Director of Public Prosecutions Sir Ken Macdonald has said that he does not see any need for an extension beyond 28 days.