Anthony Barnett (London, OK): Thanks to Sunny Hundal and his open conspiracy (of which I am a part) we have a letter in today's Guardian paper that started with Comment is Free and is printed there in full. It calls on the government to abandon its plans to extend detention without charge (aka internment). There is also a strong article on the signatories which leads with the story that Labour is planning to rely on a deal with the DUP to get its way. More on this outrageous move later, which shows what a sorry state the government has got itself into - that its proper ambition to lay down anti-terrorist measures on a foundation of consensus, including with a wide variety of Muslim opinion, has decrepitated into reliance on Paisley's party! Sunny's carefully negotiated letter was designed to bring together a mix of people who broadly welcomed Gordon Brown replacing Tony Blair, for example Quentin Skinner one of the world's greatest historians of political thought (and currently Regius Professor at Cambridge) who almost never signs public letters. If there was going to be a consensus based on reason it would start here. Many more could have signed. The point has been made. There is no consensus for extension beyond 28 days. Every spinally challenged Labour MP must now be given back support.
PS: the description 'extension of pre-charge detention' is wrong. It makes it seem that those held will be charged, and only the guilty are being interned. But we already know that three people have been held for 28 days on suspicion of terrorism and released and are apparently not even under surveillance - ie the police have concluded they are innocent. The point is that these powers are used, in effect, to punish the innocent and strike fear (and of course loathing) into the communities they effect, all the more so when no charge whatever is made. As the public prosecutor has said, if there are reasonable grounds for suspicion a charge can be made even if more time is needed for the case to be developed.
