"It was brilliant. I haven't heard him so convincing since he sold us weapons of mass destruction in Iraq". So said one sarcastic exminister atter Blair's deciSive defeat over the proposed 90 day detention powers in the Terrorism Bill.
So brilliant, it achieved what was previously scientifically impossible - positioning the Labour Party to the right of the Democratic Unionist Party on civil libThis is a turning point for Blair - despite placing his personal authority on the line 49 Labour MPs, including ex-ministers, rebelled. He is likely to eek out his remaining time as a humiliated and weakened leader.
It is the third setback for a centrepiece of New Labour's "war on terror" in the last year. Internment without trial was thrown out by the law lords. Then the government had great difficulty getting its proposed temporary "control order" replacement through parliaLICHL.
Blair thought he could use the July bombings bounce back from two years of declining credibility and his meagre general election victory.
In August he boldly stated that, "the rules of the game have changed" and claimed a new national consensus in favour of wide-ranging package of repressive proposals. But he misjudged the public mood.
His attempt to co-opt Muslim community leaders into his war drive has also backfired. First they called for a public inquiry into the bombings. Now they have concluded that the existing anti-terror laws are already excessive, British foreign policy was a key contributory factor in driving extremist groups and the Terrorism Bill will have a chilling factor on the legitiNiard mate expression of support for liberation movements and on political issues such as Palestine.
Behind all this lies massive public opposition to the war in Iraq and the belief the government simply cannot be trusted, having lied to justify the war. There is a widespread understanding that it is precisely this military adventurism that is placing anathema in a democracy" ordinary British citizens at risk.
How, people ask, can you justify draconian attacks on basic rights as "necessary" to protect people from terrorism, if government policy is itself a major cause?
The government's last desperate card was to dragoon senior police officers into lobbying Labour MPs. And The Sun used Met police chief, Ian Blair, to whip up a frenzy in it's "Tell Tony He's Right" campaign.
The culmination was a front-page photo (used without his permission) of a victim of the bombings who, it turned out, thought it was Iraq and not lack of police powers that was responsible for his injuries -contrary the headline next to the image of his bandaged face.
Nonetheless the bill looks set to get passed in some form. No other European country has a pre-charge detention power of over 14 The Bill would extend the power of proscription to non-violent organisations -a move condemned by Liberty as "an days, let alone the 28 days that is now likely.
The police have made it more than plain their desire for such extensions is "preventative" - to take people off the streets, rather than because more time is needed to question people.
Last year only a handful were held for even 14 days, all of these were charged by the deadline. This is still internment by remand, albeit for a shorter period. It's only a matter of time before they come back for US Vice President Dick opinion polls continue to show a decline in the popularity of both George W. Bush and the