So why has David Davis called a by-election? One explanation springs to mind. Yesterday on the Today programme, Davis said that he would repeal the 42-day detention law if the Tory Party came to power. Could it be that Cameron was not party to such a policy statement before it was made?
In previous occasions, such as the 10p tax row and the EU Treaty bill, Cameron has been happy to attack the Labour policy, but reluctant to commit to reversing them. For Davis on the other hand, 42-days was a question of principle.
And an added ingredient - Davis was a defeated leadership contender. Usually on such occasions, there is an unspoken rule that such high profile candidates get their own little fiefdom - Home Affairs in Davis's case. Perhaps he saw it as his right to set policy in the area.
David Davis is making a very clear point, that he wants the electorate in his constituency to give him the mandate to continue to fight this disgraceful 42 days detention. He may be concerned at polls that show a majority of the electorate approve the 42 days - a factor that of course Brown played on and the Tories could not refute although it's worth remembering it may well be the electorate in general would as they have in the past show a majority in favour of returning to hanging but can anyone imagine Parliament allowing that? Now Davis has the chance to find out if his voters really do think he should have voted for Brown's 42 days.
If anyone saw any of the debate before the vote, and I watched some of it, a Labour MP reported on how a constituent of his had been distraught and emotionally damaged for some time after only 4 days of detention. Just imagine what it would be like after 42 days and then to be told, OK it seems you're innocent, or at least we can't pin anything on you, here's a few £1000, now clear off and don't whinge, sorry you lost your job and hordes of people may still believe you are guilty as you had to be held the full 42 days, well tough.
My feeling is the 42 days gives the police the opportunity to leave a suspect in limbo if they are too busy to deal with his case quickly being too occupied with paperwork or fulfilling the Station's quota such as criminalising kids for "harassing a tree" or squads of five of them "summoned" to arrest and keep in jail and take to court an old man "who resisted arrest" because he insisted he had not dropped an apple core. What the police need is to be freed from the idiocy of Government targets and excess paperwork to concentrate on their real job. Davis can highlight a good many of these ridiculous situations and the gross attacks on our liberties that Labour are so enjoying effecting.
Posted by: R.W. | Thursday, 12 June 2008 at 02:02 PM
Does anyone seriously believe that anybody in this by-election will vote on the issue of 42 days(or at the very least in any significant number)? The vast majority of Davis' votes in what is sure to be a low turnout anyway will be exercised because he is a Tory in a relatively safe Tory seat and because we have a deeply unpopular Labour government(for any number of other issues). This needless by-election is an ego-driven sham, the inevitable result of which will prove absolutely nothing. But I'm sure Mr Davis won't let that stop him telling us otherwise.
Posted by: Stephen | Wednesday, 18 June 2008 at 12:33 PM