YOU JUST DON'T LISTEN DO'YA. Go on then... Dig yourself into another hole. Looking forward to seeing your downfall and that of the Labour Party. You lot have lost the plot.

Eric Mattews, London, England

Think, Gordon! You may be a kind and benign leader (albeit with "Stalinist tendencies", which indicates rather less benevolence) who means no threat to individual citizens' freedom, but once this legislation's on the book, it's there to be used by your political enemies and clueless prats. Drop it!

Jacques Francis, Westcott, UK

Our relatives died for the rights of the individual: freedom + justice for all. Most of the people detained in England/Guantanamo were eventually let go without charge. No persons life should be destroyed because I'm afraid to be blown up. Our fore fathers and mothers gave up their lives for what?

Scott Ballard, Ide, Devon

Do not allow any more of our hard won freedoms to be taken. Gordon Brown gives nothing but takes everything. He is very dangerous. He seems to be waging war ion the British people.

Jas, Alders, UK

Mr Brown,

surely if one has enough supposed 'evidence' to believe that a particular individual was a 'terrorist' under the current defintion, then one would be able to charge said individual for 'being a terrorist', , giving the CPS plenty of time to get its case together to secure conviction?

andrew myers, Leeds,

Well Gordan, playing a major part in taking this country to war: on
a tissue of lies. Also allowing unrestricted immigration that allows
these terrorist a foot -hold in this country - you now want to threaten the indigenous population with further jail without trial. We need to vote on this mandate.

A Walton, Leicester, England

we really dont need this, .....yet another powerful and shameful intrusion into peoples lives and civil liberties. control, control, control - it is all nu-labour can think about. advise strong dose of reality check followed by exit.

eric, london, uk

another bill on the statuate book. If and when it needs to be taken off, will a future government do it. A law takes a long time to get rid, if ever. We will not be facecing the same problems as a country in the future, I hope. So 42 days, would be better served as a short solution at best.

arthur davies, doncaster, england

Go now! For the sake of this island were liberty was born, go!

James, Newcastle,

When will Brown et al realize that they are merely representatives of the people and not above the people? They act like the Bolsheviks who thought that the proletariat didn't know what was good for them and that they therefore needed to be told. This is the left in action.

Billy Barnett, HK,

Having been someone whom has whole-heartedly supported the concept of such simular proposals/govn in previous yrs, I dont, on this occasion, from being victim to the attrocity that our Police/CPS dispense with complete incompetence, and unprofessionalism. So sorry Gordon, yes to idea, no in reality!

Kieran Lee Marshall, K & C, London, UK

A disgraceful attack on the rule of law and the concept of justice. Let's make this clear: this law is being passed to target only one group of people: suspected muslim "terrorists". This power would be abused

Vaseem , London, UK

The recent performance of the police taking twelve days to react to a serious assault from a person who has now been murdered makes it obvious why our complacent police forces need 42 days. Why not 142 days or 342, we are heading towards a third world set of standards with everything else

mike gee, bournemouth, uk

... "detention beyond 28 days can be allowed only in truly exceptional circumstances"

Indeed. Detention up to 28 days, on the other hand, is nothing out of the ordinary.

Max S, Cambridge, England

We must always try to tackle the underlying causes of terrorism & radicalisation. This might be unpalatable because we are complicit in waging terror abroad eg. 'shock & awe' with our American allies, torture, killing innocent civilians, etc. Are we not also the terrorists?

ian cheese, london, uk

Labour & Mr. Brown simply do not believe in the basic human right of innocent until proven guilty. This is the latest attempt to control the population, but the hunting ban, ASBOs and the public order act, all presume guilt before innocence & rob an invaluable part of our human rights and freedom.

John Thompson, Reading, Berkshire

How can we lock people up without ever charging them with a crime?

Why cant they show us any cases where they have needed past 42 days?

We are only country to do this, America does something similar by suspending ‘Habeas Corpus’ and holding "terrorists" indefinitely!

Shocking!

Andy T, North East, England,

Excellent justifications for 42days detention however contrary to the concept of the rule of law. The other choice is the american way, on suspicion, lock them up straight away! Must be more appreciative of the fact that UK always strive for fairness in every possible way.

Sheen Ochavez, London, UK

the only way to beat terrorism (painful as it might be in the process) is by democratic means, using proper court procedures and a well prepared case by the crown prosecution service. from a government that has eroded civil liberties to a shred of 11 years ago, enough is enough,so the answer is no.

eric, london,

If citizens have powers to "arrest" then can't we voluntarily help with complex IT investigations? (Trained) citizens might help openly and transparently as researchers where appropriate to reduce burdens eg helping "innocents" who may get embroiled unnecessarily in anti-terrorism policy practices.

Mrs.Josephine Hyde-Hartley, Bacup, UK

Was this text written after the Danish embassy was attacked? Geez!

Godiva, London,

One only has to look at Liberty's website to see that Britain has outstripped other countries in its denial of human rights to its own citizens on this matter. The symptoms of a paranoid government, divorced from the sentiments and insterests of the people it purports to represent.

c Braithwaite, canterbury, kent

Is there a statistition in the house that can explain how an examination of trends can result in an increase from 28 to 42 days for the truly exceptional cases? How do you establish the truly exceptional from the trend? Help please.

Peter Dunford, Dorchester, UK

"And the police cannot just wait for suspects to be caught red-handed." No. As Libby points out they can provoke people and then arest them. As they did with Al Capone, get them for something else that doesn't take 42 days to prove. Duh!

Peter Dunford, Dorchester, UK

Even the Famous Five got off the island before that Gordon I bet Carlos Demendes wishes he got 42days for wearing his wrangler in the Tube remind me is that one of the 3000 new laws....................................

Wayne , Newcastle,

Elsewhere today, the 42 day period is only temporary. An extra 14 days per individual arrested within the 30 day extra detention period. (Presumably it wouldn't apply to people locked up before?)
Don't we just need more resources in the first place, and not taken from burglaries and real crime?

Peter Dunford, Dorchester, UK

"42-day detention; a fair solution"
Gordon's big on fairness. It's his word of the month. Well, last month, when there were elections. Ask anybody who lost out when the 10p tax band was doubled if they think Gordon understands "fairness". If he doesn't know the meaning of the word in one context...

Peter Dunford, Dorchester, UK

It's a natural instinct of socialists to control the state like this. This is how all the old eastern bloc used to keep control of their undesirables. ID cards is the next stage when every person in this country will effectively need a licence to think they are a free member of the state.

mike lincoln, wakefield,

I would like to lock Gordon Brown up for 42 days. What you plan to do is unconstitutional and one can only hope this measure is defeated.

Daniel Cambridge, Brighton,

First, you tax us half to death.
Then, you create over 3000 new laws to beat us with.
Now you want to lock us up (even if we're innocent) and throw away the key.

What next? State execution for Carbon Dioxide Kills The Planet Denial?

Please GO before you ruin everyone's life.

Oh, Too late

Ade, Wallasey, UK

I look forward to Brown's defeat on this measure and his resignation followed by the announcement of a general election. Then we can elect the tories and get the EU referendum that Gordon Brown promised us at the last election.

Ken Hall, Barrow in Furness, UK

the home secretary, parliament, the director of public prosecutions and the independent reviewer would only have police suspicions to go on, as there would obviously be no decisive evidence, when there is no charge. These 'safeguards' are merely a rubber stamping procedure for the security services.

Edwyn Mayhew, London,

At the moment local councils are using terrorist laws to spy on people for minor offences such as littering. Now we have crazy proposals to lock people up for 42 days. A person may not be a terrorist when they are arrested, but after 42 days of injustice they will certainly be a potential terrorist.

james, falkirk, uk

What worries me is that the police in this country think nothing of arresting and excluding an 80 year old man from a public conference for heckling, using the anti-terrorism act as their weapon. They have no apparent sense of proportionality and they'd run amuck with their new powers.

David Garfield, London, UK

The reference to encryption is a red herring: properly encrypted data won't be broken in 48 days, or even 90. Therefore the vast majority of this argument is equally an argument for recruiting police computer forensics staff - an approach which doesn't trample fundamental rights.

Peter Taylor, Valencia, Spain

Brown claims to be 'doing the right thing' over extending the period of detention without trial. If he really wanted to do the right thing he would instead stand firm over the proposed increase in fuel duty and move towards the government's own targets on CO2 emissions. Unpopular but very necessary.

Mark Smith, London, UK

you've lost my vote... and i'm a natural labour supporting scot. this country badly needs a change.

Hugh, London,

"..today's threats are different in their scale and nature from anything we have faced before.." What, worse than IRA bombs all over Britain? During the last war, you could be interred for making statements 'causing public dispair'. We should be locking up the Goverment for it! [Oh, please!]

S. Barraclough, Huddersfield, W. Yorkshire

How about a public apology by the Home Sec. + a million pound compensation (from voting MPs benefits) for every wrong detention?

Steve D' Souza, Swindon, UK

We don't often agree with Gordon Brown, but we think that in this instance, he is absolutely right!

Janet & Duncan Beaton, Longniddry, East Lothian

you lock up 1 innocent person without trial for 42 days- how many terrorists or at least terrorist sympathisers do you create?
+ look at local councils using terrorsist laws to catch people applying to the wrong state school. how long before detention without trial is abused?

will, grimsby, uk

Are there better things to do by this 'Haggis' government before Brits start begging on the streets due to the economic meltdown?

Uma Shankar, UK,

This legislation is a shameful stunt and abuse of the legislative process, not to grant any new, unnecessary powers; the government already has the power to declare national emergencies, but to send a 'message' out, "aren't we tough" . Curious how the figures quoted are so precise and round eh......

Jon Underwood, Edinburgh, UK

More than any other unanswered question in this comment box, I would like to know: what happens when - not if - the police and the government get an arrest wrong? What provisions will be afforded to repair the financial and societal damages to someone held without evidence, proof, or justification?

Alan, Midlands,

Wouldn't the description "mass murderers" be more apt? I say detain them for 'as long as it takes'. I'm not even sure they deserve justice.

Edwina, Norwich,

Brown and his government cannot be trusted. Brown has no mandate to run the country. Call an election and put the 42-day detention period to the people. After all, Mr Brown, you work for the people and not the other way round.

Peter, Burnley, England

The incompetent disingenuous, authoritarian, anti-democratic, anti-justice Labour Government are a greater threat (if not to life itself, but to the quality and way of life of the British people) than any external terrorist group could ever be.

Can we lock them up for 42 days (or much longer)?

John, Kent, UK

Perhaps what used to be done in 28 days now takes 42 because of all the extra form filling the police need to do.

Andrew Forbes, Thames Ditton, England

Didn't we try internment in Northern Ireland in the 70's? What a roaring success that was. Maybe, just maybe, we should have some evidence BEFORE we arrest people. Then MAYBE if we find they're criminals we can deport them rather than worrying about what happens to them if we do.

Glenn, sevenoaks, UK

I am absolutely shocked, saddened and disappointed that a British government would bring in a law allowing people to be held for 42-days without charge. I am a middle-aged woman who rarely protests about anything, although I did match against the Iraq war. Anne Thatcher, London

Anne Thatcher, London, UK

42 days should be a minimum and up to 90 days not out of the question with proper judicial reviews. I cannot understand the Conservative party on this issue. The single biggest threat to the UK comes from mainly one part of our ethnic community. This community does not communicate with the police.

PETER MARTIN, East Riding, UK

Why not go after the propogators of terrorism and unrest such as preachers of hate in Mosques and elsewhere rather than introduce blunderbus laws that can affect the whole population. Is it because you are more afraid of the 'offence' taken by Muslim bodies than the offence taken by the rest of us

David Cartright, Birmingham,

There is nothing "fair" about holding an innocent person (and that WILL happen) for 6 weeks, destroying their job, family life, reputation.

Without a charge, a solicitor can't even show you're held for totally spurious reasons.

Brown should look to his foreign policy (lack of) for the answer.

Clive, Surrey,

The complexity of today's Government plots means the people needs more protection.

How long before a push for 90 days?

Revolting Peasant Bryan, Brentwood, Gulag England

Who told you all this nonsense Gordon? Terrorist threat? what terrorist threat- more people are killed on the roads every day than by terrorists in a year worldwide. You have succumbed to the edifice of the security theatre industry - more fool you. Change your advisers mate to people with common..

Victor M., Chelmsford, Essex.,

Mr. Brown:
42 days is not fair. 28 days is not fair. 14 days is not fair. 7 days is not fair. Detention without charge is not fair, and it never was. But it's no surprise. Britain has indeed suffered terrorism, but the rest of the world has suffered British human rights abuses for centuries.

C.M.Patton, Jakarta, Indonesia

Ah, this is the kind of Gordon we like to see. Not flash, just Gordon. A man who does what he thinks is right and has the courage to stand up for his beliefs.

James Forsyth, Sherborne,

Comrades, be reasonable. We saw that the House wouldn't accept 90 days, so we settled for 28, and now seek just an additional 14. That sounds palatable, doesn't it? A few more concessions and we have every hope of persuading the 'cattle' MP vote - the whip and the carrot of promotion works wonders!

A.P. Paratchik, Erewhon,

"The complexity of today's terrorist plots means the Government needs more powers"
This quote could have been lifted striaght from Orwells 1984.
The Government wants us to believe we are all in peril and are fighting a war. Its control. as simple as that, keep the plebs in fear so we can control.

Spence, London, England

I say there are too many safeguards being proposed for these mass-murderers. Too many points where the bleeding hearts can say Oh no no no. Just go straight to 14 days. DO IT.

from a non-fan of Mr. Brown

John Little, Chelmsford, England

“The best way to combat terrorism is by maintaining and strengthening the freedoms that terrorism seeks to destroy. The protection of those freedoms will not be advanced by increasing the period in which terrorism suspects can be held without charge.” Desmond Tutu

David, Brighton,

Give the people a choice. Put in a manifesto and call an election. What you really don't understand is that after 10 years of watching you try to stab TB in the back, the British people do not want a man of your characted as their Prime Minister. You can't be trusted.

Dominic Neary, Twickenham,

Mr Brown you should blame Tony and yourself and all those who voted in favour of the Iraq war and standing 'shoulder to shoulder' with the US in the words of your predecessor. Stop using the excuse of terrorism to create a police state surveillance society which is what you want anyway. Go now plz.

chris, brighton,

One has to worry about who these laws are going to be used against. The Law & Order billed as against terroism passed a few years ago out of hundreds of clauses only had one or two against terrorists the balnce were British people. Including Human Rights Law thinking middle classes are targeted.

Jas, Alders, UK

Yesterday, your colleague Mr Alan Milburn wrote in The Sunday Times that new Labour's "extending of people's rights is something to be proud of".

Er, so when will you start?

Viktotovich, Moscow, RF

Gordon - your government let in these people indiscriminately to our country; your government went to war enraging these people against us. Now because of YOUR Party and governance you want to punish all of us. And you have the cheek to lecture us about Britishness. Go back to Scotland!

Merlin, London,

The maximum period of pre-charge detention in the Dhiren Barot investigation was just 14 days; in the Airline Bomb Plot investigation, it was 28 days. It is accepted by the police that those periods of time proved to be sufficient. Far from providing support for 42 days, these two cases undermine it

A Bajwa, London, England

Anyone who is serious about the security of this country will uncompromisingly support the 42-day plan. Any vote to weaken this stance would be a vote for Al-qaeda. We have to come to our senses and face the reality of the dangers that face us.

Rosemary HAmilton, London,

Defeat over 42 days' pre-charge detention will offer Gordon Brown an honorable way to resign as Prime Minister.

Reggie Lawson-Tims, Manchester, UK

We are talking about an additional 14 days detention for people who the police believe pose a serious threat to the nation's security. In dangerous times I believe we have to have faith in our security forces that they won't go around locking up fragile old ladies who park on double yellow lines

peter fieldman, paris, france

Nothing here to justify a further erosion of our civil liberties.

Simon Marshland, Bath, UK

Nobody but Brown wants this cynical "I'm tougher on terrorists than you lot" Legislation. The police as a whole have not asked for it and the former attorney general is not keen on it either.When will Brown admit to himself that draconian, stalinist police state legislation is a one man ego trip.

philip, Ipswich,

"So our first principle is that there should always be a maximum limit on pre-charge detention."

No matter that the maximum limit in the UK (28 days) is already much much longer than in any other western country.

First we suffer Brown economic incompetence, now his assault on civil liberties.

HJ, Reading, UK

Pure unadulterated Stalinism. The last twitchings of the Nu-labour corpse.

It is over, GB, face it. You and you crew are finished. (And not before time)

Junk-Male, Falmouth,

This measure will probably stop terrorism. Soon enough Britain will be indistinguishable from an Islamic theocracy like Iran, and then the terrorists will give up, thier work done.....

Nick, France,

Detention - 28 or 42 days.
As far as I know no large organisation has circumvented Parkinson's Laws - 'work expands to fill the time available'
Admission of intercept evidence and questioning after charging are far better ways of advancing prosecutions than departing further from our traditions.

M Walbank, Lymington, Hants

Having read the article, I am immediately reminded that our excellent police force is over-burdened by bureaucracy. Only last week, one force decided to return to 'common sense policing' instead of chasing Gordon Brown's targets.

andy, oxford, uk

Rubbish, Mr Brown. This has nothing to do with principle and everything to do with political calculation and saving face. The problems you set out could be set out for all major cases,not just terrorist, yet the Police cope. Nothing has changed and so neither should the law. Back down or get out.

Paul Owen, Birmingham, UK

Do give it a rest Gordon. We do understand you really want 90 days; Tony said so. We also understand the difference between Habeas Corpus and Corpus Juris, and that the real 'terrorists' are our own government. Your duplicity is transparent and you should be ashamed.

emmie, London, England

And how long will it be before councils are using these powers to arrest people for putting out the wrong sort of rubbish? Or using them to arrest people who heckle politicians? Or wearing anti-war t-shirts? We have been promised new powers will only be used in emergencies, responsibly, before.

iain, oxford, uk

Internment without trial didn't stop the IRA; in fact it gave them a major propaganda victory, not least because many of the 'suspects' were hauled in without a shred of evidence. So we have this increasingly fascistic government wanting to do the same. The New Labour police state rolls on.

Paul, Coventry,

A lamentable and woolly defence of an unsustainable argument. Just how many times has it been found that the present limits are insufficient? What are the full circumstances of the Dhiren Barot case? What particularised evidence can you supply to show that this measure is absolutely imperative?

Cassius, Sussex,

In the 20th century over 100 million people died at the hands of their own governments, while terrorism accounted for perhaps 100,000 deaths. Why then should I be more afraid of terrorism than totalitarian statists like George Bush and Gordon Brown. Don't they have vastly more power than terrorists?

Eric, Beverly Hills, CA, USA

Why are you obsessed with removing our liberty? we coped with the IRA with none of this rubbish if you really feel the need to do this have the courage to put it in a manifesto and call the election and try to get a mandate.Tony Blair tried this and lost what makes you think anything has changed.

Mitch, Wolverhampton, England

"After detailed consultation with the police ... we propose the upper limit of 42 days." Note that it is Brown who proposes a 42 day period, not the police, who do not even support it. These are weasel words, just like Blair's "45 minutes" statement to justify the war.

John Stevens, London, UK

So many flaws, where do you start?
What if Parliament is in recess?
What information is to be given to MPs to enable them to decide?
What competence have MPs to make essentially judicial decisions (whipped?) on individual cases?
How can there be a fair trial afterwards?

Drop the idea.

James, Hong Kong, China

Today in Britain there are at least 2,000 terrorist suspects, 200 networks or cells and 30 active plots'.
<br/>
<br/>What's the source? Where's the substantiation? Besides, if it takes 42 or even 28 days to find sufficient evidence against a Terrorist suspect then that suggests incompetence...

Darren, Greenhithe,Kent,

As with everything this unelected PM does, it is overtly political: wanting to outflank the Tories on being "tough" on terror. Brown has no principals beyond staying in power. He even sabotaged a leader who was elected by the public 3 times. Gordon even Kircaldy is too good for you.

chris, hong kong,

Mr. Brown
It is entirely undemocratic, uncivilised and entirely unpatriotic for you to try to whip our elcted MPs to legislate the go-ahead for 42 days pre-charge detention. We have already seen anti-terror legislation abused by local councils and surely this odious idea of yours would be too.

Peter, Manchster, UK

Be a man and take defeat on the chin. Get your over inflated ego out of politics. The trouble with your plan is that in the majority of cases the detention will not be applied to suspected terrorists and applied to ordinary citizens. You are removing presumption of innocence.

Edward, London,

Dear Prime Minister,

This is detention without charge. You want the power to ruin a man's life without telling him what his crime is supposed to be. You demand the power to harass and intimidate without effective accountability. I trust Magna Carta, sir. I do not trust you.

richard, horley,

Gordon Brown is operating on the same principle as every two-bit local council. Just in case anything bad happens, make sure you can prove you took every possible precaution, no matter how irrelevant. And if that impacts someone else's freedom, too bad. "Not my fault, Guv. I tried everything"

jon livesey, Sunnyvale, CA/USA

The word 'racism' has grown arms and legs meaning culture, nationality and religion, instead of one's raciality. How long before this new law means the detention of people who commit a crime against the state, like spray painting, or protesting against the government?
A very dangerous law. Bin it!

Mark, London, England

Gordon Brown is to be commended. Despite opposition, he has set out his stall and done the right thing. The safeguards are in place and he has listened. He nevertheless stands resolute and determined to enhance National Security. Well done!!

Craig, Glenrothes, Fife

Brown has done well on this and deserves our support. Labour MP's should not damage Labour and support the Govt. Civil liberties should start with protecting the public and not the terrorist. The public are with Brown.

Rae, Dorset,

You have tarried here for but a short time as Prime Minister, but it is long enough. In the name of God, go!

Kay Tie, York,

Mr. Brown's Fairness = INTERNMENT, the imprisonment of people without trial.

Let's get this disgrace of a PM out of office ASAP!

Join the Facebook group Anyone But Gordon to send a message!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=12990713667

Anyone But Gordon
www.anyonebutgordon.co.uk

Ryan, Bracknell, England

If America would implement verifiable safeguards for pre-charge detentions as suggested by Brown, people might have more confidence in a government that lies. Currently, the president permits no review of these incarcerations by judges, Congress, or the American people. "Trust us," they say.

james, los angeles,

Think to yourself: Suppose I were to be locked up for 42 days, how would this affect my current settled life? The "no smoke without fire" brigade would ensure you could never return to your previous life. You'd be rendered unemployed and unemployable. And that's assuming you were totally exonerated.

Andrew Milner, Yokohama, Japan

Dear Mr. Brown

It is entirely undemocratic, uncivilised and and an affront to our great country that you propose to strong-arm 42 days pre-charge detention. We have already seen anti-terror legislation abused by councils.

Please resign with immediate effect and turn yourself in to the Hague.

SO, Manchester, UK

Dear prime minster, the flaw in reasoning is that the Crown in any case do not have only 28 days to build case beyond reasonable doubt, they 28 days to find enough eveidnece in those thousands of computers to build prime faice case, this very low burden of proof indeed

Benjmain O'Connor, OLNEY,

1) The fact that so much data is available to the police should make it easier to catch terrorists. Against the IRA we only had oral evidence.
2) Have we not learned from N.Ireland? Internment does not work!
3) There are many international agreements to make getting evidence from abroad easy.

Paul, Cambridge, UK

Load of rubbish. We already have the longest detention period of any first world country (next is Australia with a mere 12 days and the USA get by with 1), and there hasn't been a single case where 42 days would have been needed.

Gordon Brown will either do another u-turn or face another defeat.

Simon Carter, London,