Labour Party unity has been further consolidated by yesterday evening's announcement by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith to shelve plans to detain terrorist suspects for up to 42-days. I opined a week ago that this could be the first test of new-found unity post-Conference. My suggestion was:
Government can maintain its concern on the record, so that in the event
of the need for longer powers of detention emergency legislation can be
put before the House.
The Home Secretary told Parliament:
I have prepared a new bill to enable the police and prosecutors to do
their work – should the worst happen, should a terrorist plot overtake
us and threaten our current investigatory capabilities. Some may take
the security of Britain lightly. I don’t. The Counter Terrorism
(Temporary Provisions) Bill now stands ready to be introduced if and
when the need arises. This would enable the Director of Public
Prosecutions to apply to the courts to detain and question a terrorist
suspect for up to a maximum of 42 days.
Quite so. Honour all round. Now the banking system has been rescued from systemic failure, it's time to focus on (among other things) reviving the economy, cutting taxes for low and middle-income families, building council houses, buying up abandoned private housing developments and pressing energy companies to pass on wholesale price cuts to retail customers.