Life, the Universe and David Davis: The Answer is 42
Life, the Universe and David Davis: The Answer is 42
16 June 2008
Apparently two weeks is a long time in politics.
This is the amount of time by which the Commons narrowly voted to increase the maximum terror detention period last week.
That the Government only succeeded in their proposal by Brown-nosing the DUP, (Democratic Unionist Party) - the Prime Minister is alleged to have secured their support by offering inducements, including extra financial help for Northern Ireland and promising that the government would block efforts to loosen abortion rules - is some indication of how tight it was.
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It must be pointed out that Gordon hotly denies this saying, "I do not offer deals on terrorism”. No BOGOF for bombers then under this PM.
Still, it may all come to naught anyway.
It continues to both delight and depress me in equal measure that the House of Lords appears to be the last bastion of sense in the Kingdom. They are likely to shoot it down in flames and without a large majority to command Gordon may well decide to fight this battle at another time.
The end of the story for now then.
Erm, no actually. Just the beginning.
David Davis, the man so good they (nearly) named him twice, appears to have had some sort of aneurysm. Dear David has decided that the view of Parliament is not good enough for him and that he needs to pursue a new route for his opposition to the draconian terror laws he calls part of the "government's slow strangulation of fundamental British freedoms" by resigning and then refighting his now suddenly vacant parliamentary seat.
Yikes. Right on Dave.
I’m not sure that my tiny mind can cope with a world in which the House of Lords and the Tory Shadow Home Secretary are the voices of reason in any debate.
I think David Cameron is suffering the same failure of comprehension. It appears on closer examination that a rather rash promise by Davis that the Tories would reverse the 42 day rule on attaining office caused the simmering resentment between the not-so-long-ago-obvious-next
Backed into a political corner perhaps Davis feels he has nothing left to lose. If he wins with an increased majority (the Lib Dems have already said they won’t run against him) then there could be some credence given to the thought that there is a public mandate for his views.
And Cameron is nothing if not populist. Perhaps he could swallow his pride and welcome back Davis to the Shadow Cabinet with welcome arms and a slightly too tight handshake.
A seemingly bad week for Brown becomes a headache for Cameron.
Welcome to politics Dave.
