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Blair insists parliament is out of touch with public { November 9 2005 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://news.ft.com/cms/s/82899770-5128-11da-ac3b-0000779e2340.html http://news.ft.com/cms/s/82899770-5128-11da-ac3b-0000779e2340.html Blair insists MPs are out of touch with public opinion By James Blitz, Political Editor and Ben Hall Published: November 9 2005 16:58 | Last updated: November 10 2005 12:57 Tony Blair on Thursday warned that MPs are out of touch with the police and public opinion over the seriousness of the terrorist threat facing Britain. A day after he suffered a devastating blow to his political authority when MPs rejected his proposal to hold terrorist suspects without charge for up to 90 days, the prime minister told a meeting of the cabinet on Thursday that there was a “worrying gap between parts of parliament and the reality of terrorist threat and public opinion”. The prime minister’s spokesman said the cabinet was united in its determination to press ahead with a contentious programme of welfare, education and health reforms despite warnings of further rebellions from Labour backbench MPs. Mr Blair’s defiance is coupled with an acknowledgement that the government needs to do a better job of explaining the nature of its reform programme to Labour MPs. But this does not necessarily amount to the more consensual style that a growing number of Labour backbenchers are now demanding. Charles Clarke, the UK’s home secretary, said on Thursday that he took personal responsibility for the government’s stinging defeat, but the scale of resistance will undoubtedly raise questions over the prime minister’s rule. The Commons defeat was Mr Blair's first since he won power in 1997. Some 49 Labour MPs voted against the government, the clearest signal since the May general election that the prime minister's grip on his backbenchers is weakening. Mr Blair reacted angrily to the vote, arguing that opponents of 90 days detention without charge had behaved in a "deeply irresponsible manner". But the Commons defeat, and a subsequent vote to implement a maximum detention period of 28 days, followed a string of setbacks for the prime minister - including David Blunkett's resignation last week. The scale of the Labour rebellion calls into question whether Mr Blair can press ahead with reforms of state education and the welfare system which Labour MPs oppose even more deeply. The vote raised doubts about whether Mr Blair can fulfil his pledge to serve a "full third term" lasting up to 2008 or beyond. Mr Blair's defeat came in spite of the last-minute return to London of Gordon Brown, the chancellor, and Jack Straw, the foreign secretary, from official visits to Israel and Russia respectively to back the prime minister in the vote. However, the 31-vote margin of defeat ended up being far bigger than government business managers had anticipated, indicating that Mr Blair had badly miscalculated earlier this week when he barely compromised over the 90 days proposal. Michael Howard, the Conservative leader, said Mr Blair's authority had "diminished almost to vanishing point" and urged him to consider resigning. But the prime minister argued that the defeat was not one for him personally but for national security in the face of the terror threat. "I have no doubt where the country is on this," he said, noting that the 90-day period of detention without charge had been expressly demanded by the police. "The country will think that parliament has behaved in a deeply irresponsible way today." Ministers conceded last night that the most worrying feature of Wednesday's vote was that the number of Labour rebels went well beyond the 30 "Campaign Group" of far-left MPs who seek Mr Blair's immediate dismissal. The Labour rebels included a number of normally loyal former ministers including Nick Raynsford, Chris Mullin and Tony Lloyd. Among those who also failed to support Mr Blair were prominent supporters of Mr Brown, including Geoffrey Robinson, the former Treasury minister, and Doug Henderson. The rebellion was smaller than those Mr Blair suffered in his second term in office against foundation hospitals, university top-up fees and the Iraq war, when up to 139 MPs voted against the government. However, the implications of Wednesday's rebellion are more significant because he now has a much smaller Commons majority of 66. It demonstrated Mr Blair's vulnerability in the Commons to a shifting coalition of hard-core critics, disgruntled former ministers and MPs taking a stand on particular issues. Last night's defeat will put pressure on Mr Blair to adopt a more consensual style as he tries to introduce public service reforms next year. Mr Henderson, a former minister, warned Mr Blair that he must start trying to carry the party with him. "He can't go on saying: 'Mine is the only view and you either back me or sack me'. He's got to make it clear that he's not just going to try to impose his will on MPs."

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