Labour to decline challenging Davis?

Yorkshire Pete

You need to get out more. It will leave a lot of us in awe of a politician who - finally - has done the right thing on an issue that matters. And I'm no Tory.

David Lindsay

One of you commentariat supporters of 42 days should stand as an Independent. What are you afraid of?

Max Kaye

...or the government demonstrating that they are a bunch of cowards with no one willing to argue their case.....

Pete

How very typical of Gordon Brown! Rather than put up a challenger to defend his Governments policies he bottles it and says they won't fight. As a matter of principle and honour they should contest this election.

NickL

On the other hand, if Labour believe in what they are doing, they have to rebut David Davis' challeenge. Otherwise they will be seen to duck the issue they claim to hold to as a matter of principle.

Kevyn Bodman

It won't leave Davis with egg on his face at all.
It'll make Labour look like cowards for running away from the chance to advocate the policies that Davis is attacking them on.
And it'll make them look they they are playing petty politics with the liberties of the people.

Of course they ARE cowards and they ARE playing petty party politics.

I hope you journalists do your job and make sure it is reported that this is not just about 42 day detention.

Craig Strachan

If the Lib Dems and Labour sit on the sidelines, David Davis will have achieved little - except perhaps handing a golden publicity opportunity to the BNP and other fringe parties.

Is it really too late for Davis to re-think this?

J H Holloway

Not so.

If Labour won't defend the 42 day policy - they're running away.
If they do - they will be beaten into oblivion.

Can't see how Davis can loose. He's given up his shadow cabinet position and put his front bench career on the line.

Read the blogs - even the Guardian CiF. Lots of support for Davis. He has balls the like of which haven't been seen since Maggie left.

David C

I'm back again (boo! hiss!),
So I don't know if this point has been made.

Gordon Brown stood unopposed to become leader of his party and Prime Minister.

The Labour Party has a track record of ducking out of votes wherever they can get away with it.

It would hardly be a shock if the Labour Party dodged this one as well.

A party with nous could summon up some form of opposition so that the arguments could be thoroughly aired.
This is sufficiently important for the Lib Dems to not field a candidate, so they might be persuaded to put up a figure to fight out a debate that must be fought.

Or perhaps we have all become so enervated by the grey mediocrity of machine politics that we can no longer face the difficult questions.

John

"victory in an effectively uncontested by-election could leave Davis with egg on his face"

What nonsense. He'll have made his point.
You journos really do spout a lot of drivel.

Labour Member

he went on a mad ego trip which was all about settling scores inside the Tory Party. If he is humiliated he deserves it.

On the other hand given that Davis has defined the issues in this election as CCTV, ID cards, DNA database and anti-terrorism you feel that a braver Labour Party would take him on and - probably beat him.

David Davis's charter for criminals has a certain feel to it.

David

Not unless he sells it as "The government is so proud of its civil liberties record, it refuses to fight an election on it".

Labour Member

Lord Randolph Churchill anyone?

Pete

By his principled actions David Davis has tapped into a huge resovoir of resentment against this Goverments intrusive legislation. It goes right across party loyalties, age and gender. The more the Labour party run away from putting up a challenger the more despicable they will look.

Victor, NW Kent

With 67% of voters in favour of the 42 day Bill surely Labour could find someone who was not too "frit" to stand? After all they are guaranteed to win - Brown told us that his way was the only right way. He should have the courage of his convictions.

Silent Hunter

I think the word for ZaNuLabour is "Frit" LOL

Cogito Ergosum

What a pity the other 190 Conservative MPs don't resign, and also the 36 Labour MPs who opposed the 42 days. Then we would have a near-general election.

Commondog

I reckon he was fed up with the whole Westminster panto. This just gave him a way of going out in style.

Robert Williams

Victor's comment above appears to anticipate a contested election & a Labour win with the electorate of H&H (where Labour was in 3rd place in 2005)voting only on DD's agenda. They would not & when DD won, labour could shrug it off.

Better for Labour to endure a couple of days of taunting as frit & then leave the preposterous Davis to quietly stew for a few weeks 200 miles from Westminster.

Fergus Pickering

Is Labour Member REALLY a member of the Labour Party? I didn't know there were any left. It's like finding somebodyyou thought was normal is actually a member of the BNP. You wonder what goes on in their little heads, don't you? Me, I put it down to not being breast-fed as a baby.