Insomniac Lords Leap on House Arrest Bill

The House of Lords is holding out over the House Arrest Bill, extending it's debate over night. The irony that the undemocratically elected Lords are preserving our ancient liberties, while the democratically elected MPs are selling us down the river has not gone unnoticed. This has led to the craven argument from the government that the Lords must submit to the will of the elected house. The current activities of both houses would lead one to think the reverse with the government submitting some of the weakest arguments in living memory for passing this awful bill.

'New' Labour sees this as a trial of political strength and as a win win situation for them electorally. If they win they get to be seen as 'tough' on the terrorists if they loose they can paint the opposition as supposedly 'weak' on the terrorists. Like everything else that this government has done image trumps substance, rational debate and the production of good laws. What will be interesting to observe is whether 'New' Labour is politically damaged from the shambles surrounding the House Arrest Bill. The current mess does not do it's image of cool calm technocratic confidence any favours at all, but will the electorate pick up on this and if so will it cost Labour any seats? Harold Macmillan said that 'a week is a long time in politics' if so then the next two months are going to last a very long time indeed for the government.