MI5, Widdecome and Shan Oakes

Yesterday, the former head of MI5 spoke out against 42 days - could there be a more damning indictment of the recent vote in the Commons?

"I don't see on a practical basis, as well as a principled one, that these proposals are in any way workable," said Baroness Eliza Manningham-Buller.

Our Maidstone MP, Ann Widdecombe disagrees and voted to back the 42 day detention without charge on the 11 June 2008

David Davis allegedly resigned because he was soooo upset at the way the vote went, forcing a by election in Haltemprice and Howden. Davis thinks it is wrong to hold people for 6 weeks without charge, so wrong that he just had to resign, but 4 weeks without charge is just fine and gets his backing.

4 weeks / 6 weeks - was his resignation really about this???

Fortunately the Greens are standing an excellent candidate on a real civil liberties platform. More on Shan Oakes here.

From the Indy:
Plans to hold terror suspects for up to 42 days are neither practical or principled, the former head of MI5 warned yesterday.