June 12, 2008
Going out in a blaze of glory
Yesterday was a day of sheer drama as the terror bill was passed in the Commons by the thinnest of margins after genuinely heartfelt debate over balancing security against human rights.
And now we’ve been treated to an even more entertaining event - this morning’s resignation by David Davis, shadow home affairs secretary, ove the same issue; the defence of Habeas Corpus etc. He has already been replaced by Dominic Grieve; not temporarily.
Davis hopes that in the imminent by-election for his seat he can campaign on the single issue of human rights, turning it into a mini-referendum. Although David Cameron has known since last night, he doesn’t seem very enthused by the gesture, describing it as a “private” decision.
Will the move have the intended effect? If Davis didn’t have a rock-solid majority it would be a more brave and selfless manoeuvre.
As it is, he will still win - not least because the Lib Dems and UKIP* will not put up a candidate (Labour is undecided for now). But how will anyone know whether this is because the good people of Haltemprice and Howden, in North Yorkshire, are committed to the ancient liberties of the United Kingdom?
He may increase his majority simply because the locals hate Labour even more than the Tories**.
* UKIP and the BNP both agree with the Tories on 42 days, they say, making it unlikely they will field candidates - although neither have confirmed this yet
** See Crewe & Nantwich by-election
An Ulster Lord has just dropped by to tell me that he will help Davis’s campaign. Not, not from the DUP (who swung Wednesday’s knife-edge vote for Gordon Brown). Lord Laird of Artigarvan, an Ulster Unionist peer, says he despises the alleged deal which will allow Northern Ireland to keep water rates in return for DUP anti-terror backing: “The people of Northern Ireland should realise they are getting cheaper water because some unfortunate guy is in jail”, he thunders.
The question is: how much will a by-election cost, and who will pay for it? Is this really a sensible use of taxpayers’ money, for purely political gain?
Posted by: Simon | June 12th, 2008 at 6:35 pm | Report this comment[…] Democrat candidate. The Lib Dems have said they will not fight the forthcoming by-election. FT.com | Westminster Blog | Going out in a blaze of glory […]
Posted by: UKIP NOT to stand? | June 12th, 2008 at 6:45 pm | Report this commentWatched him making his statement on TV, he’s clearly enjoying himself. As a Tory, I’m pissed.
He’s hugely embarrased the Tory leadership so that he could be a principled politician, a champion of civil liberties. If he’s doing this solely for the noble cause of defending our freedoms,I expect him do the following:
1.Rule himself out for party leadership and stop emphasising his principles, his courage. He’s at risk of looking vainglory and prone to self-promotion
Posted by: Danni | June 13th, 2008 at 6:25 am | Report this comment2.Say there’s absolutely no rift between him and DC, and he and party has always taken the same stand on 42 days.
3.Say it’s his own decision to fund and run the by-election himself.
4. Re-direct attention to Brown’s Phyrric vitory and his shaddy deals with DUP. He should say these are the reasons of his resignation and the forced by-election.
The 42-day detention is directly contradictory to the essential clauses of Magna Carta (no imprisonment without trial, no delay of justice) still in force today after 791 years. If we ask ourselves: do we really want to repeal Magna Carta? The answer has to be no. Even if Mr Davis was foolhardy, vain, egotistical to do what he did, even if there is no serious candidate to oppose him, even if he destabilized the Conservative party, he deserves our unqualified support.
Posted by: F Miers | June 14th, 2008 at 2:37 pm | Report this commentThe New Labour government has spent the last seven years steadily eroding our basic freedoms and civil liberties. Where will it all end?
Posted by: Dylan | June 15th, 2008 at 12:21 pm | Report this commentThe so called ‘war on terror’ has been cynically used by Bush and Blair/Brown to bring in laws that are aimed at undermining people’s right to protest.
While I oppose 99% of what David Davis stands for his decision to trigger a bye-election over the issue of civil liberties is to be welcomed. Don’t expect anything but cynicism and negativity over this issue from most media hacks and the corrupt self seeking mass of politicans who masquerade as the people’s representatives in the House of Commons.
The ordinary people of Britain have to stand up for their basic civil rights and freedoms before it is too late. Join in the debate and get active in the campaign to defend and reclaim our liberties from this authoritarian government.
The New Labour government has spent the last seven years steadily eroding our basic freedoms and civil liberties. Where will it all end?
Posted by: Dylan | June 15th, 2008 at 12:22 pm | Report this commentThe so called ‘war on terror’ has been cynically used by Bush and Blair/Brown to bring in laws that are aimed at undermining people’s right to protest.
While I oppose 99% of what David Davis stands for his decision to trigger a bye-election over the issue of civil liberties is to be welcomed. Don’t expect anything but cynicism and negativity over this issue from most media hacks and the corrupt self seeking mass of politicians who masquerade as the people’s representatives in the House of Commons.
The ordinary people of Britain have to stand up for their basic civil rights and freedoms before it is too late. Join in the debate and get active in the campaign to defend and reclaim our liberties from this authoritarian government.
The ‘42 days’ are a shameful example for human rights standards being so low, that one would not expect to find such a law in Europe.
Posted by: Stephie | June 16th, 2008 at 11:38 am | Report this comment