Clarke's U-turn over anti-terror laws

http://www.channel4.com/news/news_st...storyId=604094



The Home Secretary Charles Clarke has made a key concession to opponents of the Government's Prevention of Terrorism Bill.

Mr Clarke said he would bow to pressure to allow a judge to be the first to decide whether "control orders" amounting to house arrest could be imposed on a suspect.

But the Home Secretary also announced he would be seeking to grant police "a new and specific power" to arrest and detain a suspect while the application to the judge was being decided.

The Government's majority was slashed to just 14 as a cross-party bid to ensure judges impose control orders on suspected terrorists was narrowly rejected by the Commons.

Voting was 267 to 253 opposing the move, spearheaded by Labour rebels and Liberal Democrats with Conservative backing, after a stormy six-hour Commons debate.

The result is a humiliating blow for the Prime Minister and Home Secretary Charles Clarke who saw the Government's 161-strong majority crumble in the face of a heavy backbench revolt over the anti-terrorism powers.

The size of the revolt signals further problems ahead for ministers in the Lords, where without further concessions, the legislation faces a severe mauling and even defeat.

The result was the worst for Mr Blair since he saw his majority slashed to just five 13 months ago on the second reading of the Higher Education Bill, introducing top-up tuition fees. There were 72 Labour rebels on that occasion.

The highly charged Commons debate came after the Prime Minister had warned that there were "several hundred" people in the country believed to be engaged in plotting terrorist acts.

MPs reacted angrily when news of the Home Secretary's concession emerged at the start of the debate without them having details of it before them.

There were repeated calls from all sides for more time to debate the legislation.

Tory former Cabinet minister Kenneth Clarke was among the protesters, complaining that the decision to move amendments in the Lords rendered Commons consideration "a farce".

When Mr Clarke eventually announced details of his planned changes, in a turbulent 90-minute speech, he faced a barrage of interventions from critics on his own side and the Opposition benches.



peace