42 days - no

The gov has been defeated over its 42 days for holding possible terrorists without charges. It has been touted as a tail between the legs defeat for the governement, a vindication for David Davies, and a triumph for the campaigners of human rights.

The argument goes something like this.

If we detain the wrong person for too long without charges then we are infringing on their human rights, which isn't fair.

An alternative argument might go

We suspect this person of terrorist activities, and may cost the lives of many people if we don't find out if they really are involved with terrorism. They may be inconvenienced for three more weeks, We may save hundreds of lives. If we release them too early, its possible they may kill hundreds of people, which isn't fair.

Now, I'm not a great fan of the current labour government, but I'm on their side with this one, and its the Lords who have been shown to be a bunch of bumbling fools in this case.

We may not have needed 42 days (and apparently it would only have been needed 4 or 5 times over the next few years, but that would have remained to have been seen), but it would have been useful to have, just in case.

You could argue, by extension, that id cards are a good thing. Yes, but only if they work, prevent id theft, and don't cost an arm and a leg.

Which just goes to show, that wherever you are in the gov, which side or house, you will always do something to merit derision.