THE government's prospects of doing a deal with the LiberalDemocrats to help push through proposed new antiterrorism detentionlaws appeared to recede last night.
LibDem leader Charles Kennedy said he would not back down on the"key principle" of politicians not being the sole or first arbiterswhen it came to detaining suspects without trial. Kennedy'sinsistence that a "judge had to decide first" makes it unlikely thata deal will be done during private talks this weekend.
In a recorded interview with GMTV, to be broadcast this morning,Kennedy describes it as an "immovable bottom line" that judges haveauthority before politicians.
The Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, is seeking new "control order"powers that would allow electronic tagging of foreigners and Britishnationals, or detention without trial based on secret intelligence.Effective house arrest, curfews, travel bans and bars on usingtelephones and the internet could also be implemented.
The Commons last week voted for the new bill, but stiff oppositionis expected in the Lords, and the discussions with the LibDems wereexpected to deliver a compromise package.
The only glimmer of hope in Kennedy's stance was his comment thatthere "had been movement". But he insisted any moves to combat theterror threat should not "surrender principles we hold dear".
On a personal note, Kennedy said that if the baby expected by hiswife Sarah arrives during the general election campaign he will "pullstumps" (a cricketing term for taking time out).
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