Some more spying tales.

Britain’s first national security strategy document has largely been forgotten in Whitehall. Officials are carrying on in much the same way as they did before Britain’s security priorities were set out on paper. One explanation is given in an endnote to the document:

“The wider scope of issues to be addressed within this strategy is not to be taken as affecting the legally understood meaning of national security.”

This disclaimer was requested by the Secret Intelligence Service and Security Service, I’m told. Britain’s spies refused to have the legal basis by which they operate watered down by adding threats like flooding to the “legal definition” of national security.

Cynics among you may wonder why the government spent months on a national security strategy that was never permitted to officially redefine national security. But very little surprises when it comes to the NSS, which has always had the smack of a Whitehall farce. We are looking forward to the second instalment, which is supposed to be published in nine months time.

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 He has already been replaced by Dominic Grieve; not temporarily.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 leaked list* of Labour MPs who whips feared might rebel over the 42 days terror issue makes great reading.

Not only the for the descriptions of certain backbenchers (eg John Cummings - “usually persuadable”).

But, startlingly, for its list of MPs who think the idea of extending pre-charge detention a flawed idea but are prepared to go along with the government for the sake of unity.

Step forward the following:

Joan Ruddock (”Feels case not proved 42 days plucked from thin air”).

Barry Gardiner (”Will vote with Govt but unhappy”)

and best of all

Andrew Slaughter (”Will support but thinks barmy”)

* Someone has just passed me the list, which was in the Sunday Times this morning. Sadly it’s about three months old but still provides some good insights. As of January the whips reckoned on 50 rebels and another 50-odd waverers.

I’ve cross-checked the list with those who voted against extending detention of terrorists to 90 days during the Blair days. (The idea was rejected in a rare gov defeat and we were left with 28).

Rather a large number of those expected to vote against 42 days did not vote against 90 days

eg

Nick Ainger, Karen Buck, Martin Caton, Colin Challen, Ann Clwyd, Jim Devine, Andrew Dismore, Frank Doran, Bill Etherington, Austin Mitchell, Mohammad Sarwar, Jim Sheridan, Mark Todd, Keith Vaz, Rudi Vis.

There has been some traffic the other way. But - it seems - not so much.  No wonder there’s an all-out attempt to drum up support ahead of the crucial vote in about a month.