Who does Brown think he is?
A few days ago, we discussed British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s fight to pass a law allowing the British police to hold terrorism suspects for 42 days rather than the current 28. There was the possibility, we suggested, of Brown using this as an opportunity to gain momentum and push back against all his opponents. Though Brown did successfully change the law, he failed to gain the broader momentum.
Here is one reason why. In yet another article listing the wide variety of political figures opposing the British Prime Minister, he ends off with this power-line: “Mr Brown, who has a working majority of 65 in the Commons, has made it clear that he does not regard the vote as a matter of confidence in his premiership.”
Of course it is. Every political battle, particularly those in a Parliamentary system, is a vote of confidence in the political leaders. These fights range from the unimportant to the essential. In this case, however, it is certainly so.
A rogue action of a Tory Parliamentarian, however, may re-force the issue. David Davis, the Conservative shadow Home Secretary, a leading figure in his party, resigned his seat in order to have a by-election (the British equivalent of a special election) on the issue of terror sentencing. The Tory leadership is wary of this move which endangers a Conservative seat in the Parliament as well as the party’s momentum on the issue.