42 Days Later, The Fudge?

The Lords have flexed their muscles and come down on the side of civil liberties, throwing out the government's much derided 42 day detention bill. Does Brown stick to his guns and risk the wrath of back-benchers, throw in the towel or fudge the whole issue? 

Brown got his way with the 42 day bill with some neat footwork and hefty bribes. It scrapped through the commons by just nine DUP votes in June, with 36 Labour MPs rebelling. This time round he won't be so lucky. 

The government can use the Parliament Act to steam-roll through the legislation. But Brown and the government's position is too precarious to play ping-pong. When the dust settles and the spin of the obscene bank bail-outs are seen as for what they are, there's nowhere left to hide. 

Few but government ministers want this draconian law. Brown staked his political reputation on getting the bill through the commons, sacrificing civil liberties for political power.

Whatever way ministers tried to spin it, this was 42 Days Detention Without Charge or Trial. The most serious threat to our traditions of civil liberties since before the signing of the Magna Carta.

The proposal had been criticised by not only Conservatives, LibDems and backbench Labour MPs, but also the director of public prosecutions, the former attorney general and the Council of Europe's human rights commissioner. It didn't stand a chance of getting through the Lords. 

Times have changed and so has the mood of the country. Most of the alleged terrorists have either been rounded up or gone into hiding. 

Brown cannot risk a suicide note, unless ministers have become so smug and arrogant they think they can ride rough shod over people's basic rights once again. But he cannot risk what will be seen as a climb-down and leave him open to attack. 

Brown's answer maybe to do what he has always done in these circumstances. Hide in the bunker and hope it all goes away. 

42 days could be just put on the back-burner or more likely spun away with an almighty fudge. Unless of course, the government ministers are so buoyed up with a false sense of security after the bail-outs, they think they can get now away with anything.

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Political Cracker Explodes At Westminster

It's a case of here today, gong gone tomorrow for Labour MP, Keith Vaz. Minutes before PMQs, the Telegraph dropped a bombshell on its front page news website, which discloses a private letter from Labour chief whip Geoff Hoon to Vaz who he hopes will be “appropriately rewarded” for supporting the 42 days detention bill.

The contents of the letter were clearly held back from the morning newspaper to deliberately wrong foot Brown and give Cameron a chance to put him on the spot in the commons.

Once again the Speaker saved Brown's skin when he cut Cameron off and called on one of the New Labour plants to speak from the back-benches.

In the handwritten letter sent on June 12, 2008 – the day after the knife-edge vote on 42 day detention, the Telegraph reports at 11.51am that Hoon writes:

“Dear Keith…Just a quick note to thank you for all your help during the period leading up to last Wednesday’s vote. I wanted you to know how much I appreciated all your help.

“I trust that it will be appropriately rewarded!...With thanks and best wishes, Geoff.”

Vaz, the Labour chairman of the home affairs select committee, was previously opposed to the plans, but later offered his full backing which was only won when Northern Ireland's DUP voted with the government.

With rumours circulating in Westminster of a peerage or knighthood, Vaz was asked in Parliament, during the debate the day before the vote, whether he had been offered an honour for his support. He said: “No, it was certainly not offered- but I do not know; there is still time.” Not now there's isn't.

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Brown's Pork-Barrel Politics

Brown today repeated his claims that he didn't offer bribes to force though his 42 Days Detention Bill. But he would say that wouldn't he? That's the Brown style. He tries not to touch it, sign it, meet it or be phographed with it. But voters can see through the pork-barrel politics. 

The government may have won the 42 Day vote but Brown and New Labour lost miserably, scraping through by just nine votes. Exactly the number of MPs from Northern Ireland's DUP who voted for these draconian measures.

This ended up being nothing about 42 days and everything about fudges and bribes and Brown's leadership. Brown needed to win big, just to show that he is in charge. And he didn't. What should have been a vote on principles over civil liberties was a vote of confidence in Brown.

Now we'll just have to wait and see who gets the knighthood, whose post office is suddenly saved, what financial boosts come to the Northern Ireland economy and bizarrely, with a rumour of lifting the EU trade ban with Cuba as part of the deal, who goes off on holiday to Cuba. 

Brown could take that much-needed holiday there. It's the hurricane season in Cuba. Wild and windy weather and the storm clouds are gathering. It would be safer there in Cuba than back here in Blighty. 

The term 'pork-barrel politics' is used when government spending is used for projects to benefit particular constituents or campaign contributors. That means bribes.

The phrase originated in the US when gifts of salt-pork in a barrel were given by slave-owners to their slaves. How apt. Brown's Detention Bill supporters should take note.

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DUP Saves Brown's Skin

The government has won the 42 days detention vote but Brown and New Labour have lost miserably, scraping through by just nine votes - exactly the number of MPs from Northern Ireland's DUP who voted for these draconian measures.

This was never about 42 days and everything about Brown's failing leadership and the death throes of the New Labour Project.

The New Labour spin doctors did their sums. With the fudges and bribes, it looked like it could scrape through. So what should have been a vote on principles was a vote of confidence in Brown.

The DUP had the financial interests of Northern Ireland and the local economy in mind when they voted. 

But Brown and his cronies gambled that enough Labour MPs would want to avoid causing further destruction of the Party to vote with him. They didn't. But Brown needed to win big, just to show that he is in charge. He didn't and he isn't. This result will be one more nail in Brown's coffin.

A vote for the Bill will not to save the skin of the prime minister bent on self-destruction.

And he played it all out in the media - most notably in Murdoch's Times last week and any other media outlet that would listen to the empty arguments.

Whatever way he tried to spin it, this was 42 days Detention Without Charge or Trial. The most serious threat to our traditions of civil liberties since before the signing of the Magna Carta.

The proposal has been criticised by not only Conservatives, LibDems and backbench Labour MPs, but also the director of public prosecutions, the former attorney general and the Council of Europe's human rights commissioner. 

It doesn't stand a chance of getting through the House of Lords but Brown make it clear he would not back down.

Echoing Blair and his justification for talking this country to war in Iraq, Brown is on record as saying: "I will stick to the principles I have set out and do the right thing." 

Because he thinks it's right, doesn't make it right.

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Brown's 42 Day Trial By Media

The Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) has a chance again today to show that it is New Labour that are the 'rebels' and the highjackers of the Party. But as the 42 day detention row looms, Brown seems to have chosen to talk not to his MPs but through the media. So much for Parliamentary Party democracy.

Another backbench revolt may be brewing among the Labour MPs but today will not be the Straw that breaks Brown's back. 

Will Brown listen? Will he heck. Will he even be there? Doubtful, choosing instead to ignore the PLP and use a Murdoch newspaper as a mouthpiece, leaving his cronies to churn out  the same line in whatever media outlets are happy to be taken in. 

Brown is doing the usual. He won't touch it, meet it, sign it or do anything. And the so-called rebels? This isn't their moment. They are saving themselves for an actual vote. 

Trying to bribe Northern Ireland's DUP with a plan for 42 days internment without trial, leaves a bitter taste in everyone's mouth. 

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