Smith seeks ‘42 days’ compromise

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is set to beat a retreat over the plans for 42-day detention without charge in spite of the Second Reading today of her Counter-Terrorism Bill. She will swear until she is blue in the face that she will win on the 42-day issue when it reaches the Report stage of the Bill, but her Cabinet colleagues know better.

Gordon Brown promised that the Government would seek a 'consensus' on 42-day detention for terrorist suspects. One Cabinet minister said: "We said we'd seek a consensus. That hasn't happened."

The only way out is to retreat. The clue was given by Martin Salter, a Labour backbencher, who is regarded by many left-wingers as a bellweather for Government thinking. He has announced he is abandoning the rebels, and switching from opposition to support for the Bill, but he says more needs to be done. His proposal is for the Government to allow Parliament a vote on an individual extension of detention at a much earlier stage.

At the moment, there is a guarantee that within 30 days of making the reserve power available, both Houses of Parliament would be asked to approve the Home Secretary's move. There are now calls for this to be cut to 10 days.

The embattled Smith can be expected to come up with a retreat along those lines. The problem is the human rights group Liberty won't buy it, and nor will many of the rebels. Smith will be hoping that enough of them will help to get it through.

THE MOLE: TERROR BILL

FIRST POSTED APRIL 1, 2008