Smith told not to 'panic' MPs into new terror law

HOME SECRETARY Jacqui Smith was warned against trying to "panic" Parliament into fresh terror laws today after a crushing Lords defeat of her 42-day detention plans.

Ms Smith announced the Government would ditch the measure from its current Counter-Terrorism Bill after it was rejected by a 191-vote majority in the upper chamber last night.

But clearly angry at the defeat, she declared that she would draft a separate Bill that would be brought forward in a national emergency.

It is understood the new Bill threatened by Ms Smith would not contain many of the civil liberties safeguards extracted by Labour MPs.

Ms Smith's plans were dismissed by opponents as a "fig leaf" to save face for the Home Office and Labour and civil liberties critics warned the attempt to revive the plans would be fought all the way.

Speculation had been rife that the 42-day detention measure, which scraped through the Commons by a majority of only nine, would be dumped after the Lords vote left Ms Smith little choice.

The Lords defeat was spearheaded by senior figures including two former MI5 directors, two ex-Lord Chancellors, a former chief constable and former attorney general, Lord Goldsmith.

Ms Smith accused opponents of ignoring the threat of terrorism facing the country. "I do not believe that it is enough to simply cross our fingers and hope for the best.

"Some may take the security of the British people lightly. I do not," she said, accusing critics of being willing "to ignore the terrorist threat for fear of taking a tough decision".

However, she conceded today that many of the peers who had voted against the plan including former MI5 chief Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller had a "proud record" in defending Britain against terror. But she told BBC radio: "My job now is to find another way to solve this problem."

Shadow home secretary Dominic Grieve rejected the charge that opponents to 42-day detention were weak on terrorism. "We are perfectly prepared to be firm on terrorism and, if necessary, pass difficult Bills," he said. "But they have to be credible."

Shami Chakrabarti, director of campaign group Liberty, warned that the campaign against the measures would continue. "If any government tries this again we will be ready. We should all be very proud we won the argument."

Former shadow home secretary David Davis, who resigned his seat and successfully fought a by-election on the issue, said: "The Government has undertaken a spectacular climbdown. This demonstrates that this measure has always been all about politics."