FT.com - November 9, 2005 16:58 [London time]
Blair defeated in Commons on terror measures By FT reporters
he government was dramatically defeated in a knife-edge Commons vote on anti-terrorism legislation on Wednesday when 322 MPs voted against proposals to allow suspects to be held without charge for up to 90 days. The size of the defeat, by a majority of 31, forced the government to accept a compromise and MPs later voted in favour of an amendment to extend the detention period to 28 days from the current 14.
The revolt by back-bench Labour MPs dealt a humiliating blow to Tony Blair as he tasted his first Commons defeat since he came to power in 1997. With 41 Labour MPs said to have voted against the government, Wednesday's vote underlined the prime minister's ebbing authority within his own party and highlighted his reduced parliamentary majority.
Labour insiders said the party's whips had miscalculated the scale of the back-bench revolt and the numbers of Conservative MPs who might break ranks with the opposition and support the government. The Conservative leadership is calling for a pre-charge detention period of not more that 28-days
Gordon Brown had backed the prime minister on the 90-day proposal and said he was shocked by the 'political opportunism" of the Conservative party, which he said the Tories had put ahead of the 'long term strategic interests of the country'.
The chancellor hurriedly abandoned a trip to Israel earlier on Wednesday to return to Westminister to help shore up the government vote and rally wavering Labour MPs, but his intervention was not enough to save the the prime minister. Jack Straw, the foreign secretary, was also summoned back from Moscow as the government increasingly feared defeat.
Tony Blair looked grim faced as the result of the vote was read out to the chamber. Earlier, at Prime Minister's Questions he issued a direct appeal to wavering MPs of all parties to back him, insisting it was their "duty to act responsibly". He added that it was his belief that the legislation was "the crucial difference between saving this country from a terrorist attack and not."