End to the 42- day plan

Yesterday the government announced that it would scrap the 42-day detention without charge from the bill, following its rejection by the House of Lords - by a large majority including Conservatives, Lib Dem, some Labour and crossbench Lords. In theory the government could have used the Parliament Act and only delayed the bill by a year, if the Commons had voted it. But in its second reading there was such a small majority that it was far from certain that it would have gone through again. So Brown preferred to withdraw the section.
It is an interesting development illustrating the limited but real influence that the unelected Lords can exercize in some circumstances. It also reminds us of the traditional attachment of the Lords to the protection of civil liberties.