Police State Britain - government tries for 42 days detention

In the government's latest 'pluck a number from the air' effort to increase the period when a person may be detained without charge, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is to try for 42 days instead of the current 28 days. Earlier efforts to go for 56 or 58 days met with strong opposition. The 28-day limit was itself a climb-down for the government as it had wished to have 90 days.

If the government does succeed in its latest effort to further erode the rights of citizens, then I very much doubt that it will be satisfied forever with 42 days; I expect it would be back after a few more years trying for 56 (or perhaps 72?) days. The parliamentary opposition, and Labour MPs of good conscience too, must continue to resist the efforts of the quasi-dictatorship which rules us to increase its powers under the guise of 'protecting' us.

PS/ See here for a Telegraph blog post on thia latest government attempt at face-saving.