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EXPRESS COMMENT

TERROR VOTE SHOWS BROWN IS TOO DAMAGED TO REMAIN

Thursday June 12,2008

THE Daily Express has a long record of supporting measures in defence of the realm.

Despite our opposition to most of its policies, we have always backed the Government over extending police powers to tackle terrorism.

Most of the British public would like to see Islamist terrorists who plot to bring murder and mayhem to Britain’s streets locked up for 42 years, never mind 42 days.

So under normal circumstances we would welcome yesterday’s Commons vote in favour of extending the time limit for holding terror suspects without charge. But these are not normal circumstances.

If civil liberties are to be given up it is important that those requesting their surrender enjoy a basic level of trust.

Yesterday’s events made clear that Gordon Brown’s broken-backed administration does not pass that test – not even among substantial numbers of its own MPs.

The Prime Minister was reduced to relying on the support of Unionist MPs from Northern Ireland to get a Commons majority.

If the rebellion among his own MPs was caused by him exaggerating the need for new powers then he is a disgrace.

If the case he made was genuine and unspun then he should reflect on the fact that his political weakness and inability to convince his own party in Parliament put national security in jeopardy.

Whichever is true, the conclusion is the same: he is not fit to lead this nation and the British public will only be kept safe by a new premier with a stronger mandate.