Blair 'disappointed' with terror vote

PM 'disappointed' with terror vote

9 November 2005

Tony Blair at his October 2005 Downing Street press conference The Prime Minister has spoken of his disappointment in losing the parliamentary vote on whether to allow authorities to detain terror suspects for up to 90 days.

The government wants the period extended from 14 days in line with requests from police and the security services. MPs voted on the proposal this evening.

Mr Blair said:

"I think this is the right thing to do to put this before Parliament. It is better sometimes to lose doing the right thing than be doing the wrong thing.

"What I cannot understand is how we can say, given the strength of the terrorist threat that we face, that the civil liberties of a small number of terrorist suspects - who we are saying in any event have to come back before a court every seven days - come before the fundamental civil liberty in this country of protection from terrorism.

"I think it was the wrong decision and I just hope in a later time we don't rue it."

The PM told journalists at his monthly press conference earlier this week that a 'compelling case' remained for the 90-day proposal.

ENDS

See... metletter.pdf (2MB)
Released by the Home Office: A letter from the Metropolitan Police outlining the case for amending the law to allow extension of detention of suspects in terrorism cases for up to three months.

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