Brown backs away from a fight over 56 days
Fraser Nelson 2:19am
It was supposed to be the big day when Gordon Brown put the case for detaining terror suspects for up to 56 days and took on his backbenches. Instead he, um, bottled it. Jack Straw was sent out to open the debate on Home Affairs (called by the Tories) and Jacqui Smith closed it, talking about how she wants a consensus and hasn't decided on 56 days at all. David Davis speech on civil liberties was strong stuff, rather wasted on the triviality of a debate where the government has very little to tell us. But then again, who was Brown going to get as his witness to call for 56 days? Ian Blair?
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