Brown is trying to oppress the populous under the jackboot of security, scaring Sun readers witless with talk of terror plots, their brains just can't take it. The question you need to ask is if YOU would be prepared to languish for 42 days in jail without being told what you had been arrested for?

Mike, Cheltenham, UK

It's ridiculous that this might be pushed through by effectively bribing the DUP with taxpayers' money. What's that got to do with the democracy that the government bleat so proudly about?

Neil McF, Southampton, England

Tell me a country that is doing well at the moment - or even better than Britain! Oil prices, Northern Rock and the credit crunch are not the Governent's fault. The Tories would increase unemployment, reinstate grants to private schools and abolish the fuel allowance to pay for their childcare.

sk, East Sussex, England

Well what did he expect? Simply because he was waitng 10 years for the job doesn't mean he deserves it! By using the letter of the law to defeat the spirit of the law, he muscled his way to the top job without the electorate's mandate or approval. He hasn't a clue about democracy; reap what you sow!

Said, London, UK

Did Tony see the writing on the wall after all the years of increasing pressure from Gordan handed him the "gifty" on a plate !! Certainly Gordan has not been voted for, is not liked, is clearly not a leader and should have stuck to the job that perhaps he was best suited. It is time to go Gordan

doug, milton keynes , england

The birtish public should make their voices heard and be felt by those MPs who feel they have to support Mr Brown! MPs who votes for the 42days detention will be out of office by the next general election! who will relect someone to sell more and more of their civil liberties to save their leader

Rene, bristol, UK

The poll is not surprising cause who in our media will tell the truth.
The credit crunch was caused by greedy , irresponsible US financial institutions and petrol prices are beyond the UK's control.Gas,Electricity,Water prices are all set by foreign privatety ownes companies,thanks to Thatcher.

chris dee, london,

Labour spent £11m surveying 2m people's satisfaction with general practice. The survey found that 82% were satisfied. Labour were at pains to point out that this meant 16m people were dissatisfied.

So Gordon, with only 25% of the vote, can you tell me how millions are dissatisfied with you?

MikeTheCynic, Taunton, UK

All Gordon Brown wants to do is spend money on war with Iraq and giving free hand outs to the world's poor, and making anyone with any savings immeasurably poorer. At the same time he fills the pockets and bank balances of himself, his fellow MPs and his pension. In other words, he is unfit.

Steven Ahmed, Luton, UK

In a recent poll on the 42-days proposal, 75% of voters didn't understand the question...

Thalia, London,

Too much tax taken; too little delivered in return. All stick, no carrots. Billions spent on things we don't want - wars and bureacracy and more and more ways to retrict our freedom. We really are fed up Gordon.

Cameo, Berkhamsted, UK

It's not 42 days detention that's wanted, its the ability for police to continue to question a suspect after a holding charge.
As for GORDO, he's finished; he knows it and Blair is giggling.
If this detention vote fails, GORDO may seize the opportunity to go. I know I would.

David Nammory, Liverpool,

Brown must go!

Along with an MP who votes for 42 days just to save him, if any MP Votes for 42 days to save the PM and not becsue they think its the right thing and infact go against what they hold to be true then they should stand down now, as they are not Fit to be an MP.

MR W Jones, Liverpool, England

Great. A major security issue depends on the way the DUP vote!! If it's not Scottish interference in English affairs, it's Irish! They are obviously men of high principle, so why not offer them a few MEP perks to abstain.

Paul Freeman, London, England

"I suppose if Britain does it - it is OK - but another country does it - nasty unfair awful undemocratic people!" - Richard, Plymouth,

Actually the PC brigade and minorities consistently argue the very opposite...

Graeme, Edinburgh,

Trevor Phillips threatens to use his publicly-funded quango to ask the courts to test the legality of a decision by Parliament.

I don't understand what's going on now in this country.

Has Parliament lost its authority?

MarkS, Leeds,

Quite right Nick Dixon, let's go back to before we experienced the longest sustained period of economic growth since the war.. Because it was so painful wasn't it?

You seem to forget the Tories took us into recession the last time they were in power.

Owen, London, UK

In by the back door. Out by the front. Goodbye Gordon.

Nicholas Murphy, Stonehouse, UK

so the british public support the idea tha the police can legally lock someone up for 6 weeks without being tried? this is is the type of thing found in 3rd world military dictatorships. at least people are waking up to labours nonsense though

David, Chipping Norton, UK

By the reckoning of some of your contributors when a Government is doing badly in the opinion polls we should have a General Election. If this were applied to Thatcher she would have been out on her ear in 1981. Shame that it didn't save us from the disaster of Thatcherism.

E Heath, Chineham, UK

I hope those who vote for 42 days are stopped in another country one day - for no real good reason, and detained for 42 days and see how they like it. I suppose if Britain does it - it is OK - but another country does it - nasty unfair awful undemocratic people!

Richard, Plymouth,

The bigest political mistake you make is always your last.
Gordon Brown has put his neck on the chopping block by making the 42 day rule a vote of confidence issue. How typical of his bad judgement and wrong decsions. Everyone in the country knows he is already finished, exxcept Gordon Brown.

Henry MacGowan, Glasgow, Scotland

Perhaps this tells us as much - if not more- about the British public as it does about the British PM: when the going gets hard, the herd gets going.

Margarita , Crouch End, England,

THINGS LOOK BLACK FOR BROWN!

Hmmmm....Things are looking black for Brown. Maybe he should raise the White flag? Looks like he will be Black and Blue tomorrow...or at least very blue! His face sure will be Red! It usually looks very gray. It's not easy being Green...it's even worse being Brown

Garth Strong, Los Angeles, USA

Well done. A resounding NO to POLICE STATE BRITAIN.

Mark, Gateshead, tyne wear

i think this megalomaniac will hang on until the bitter end. he is on a bigot power trip and as such disregards moral right and wrong and public opinion

labour are not a socialist party any more

why is he prime minister anyway? he hasnt been democratically voted in so he shouldnt even be there

O.G.Woodbine, over wyre, UK

Labour is unelectable for a generation having shown gross incompetence and disdain for its traditional vote and having done so much damage to our society from mass uncontrolled immigration to the handling fo the credit crisis.
As former labour voters I and my family will never vote for them again.

David, London,

Mr Donaldson MP: "If we were going to do a deal, we would not be broadcasting it until negotiations are complete".

I'm sorry; a 'deal'???!!!!

There is a vote on the latest, most serious encroachments on civil liberties this country has seen and he speaks of deals.

Moral fibre anyone?

Simon, London,

Dear Mr Prime Minister.

You can only frighten the frail and weak with your governments propaganda. We the strong don't need Police escorts to go to the shop for a kebab we are big enough to look after ourselves. If your Police force didn't stop us we could look after our own.

Mark, Gateshead, tyne wear

Somehow it seemed as though the farm had grown richer without making the animals themselves any richer— except, of course, for the pigs and the dogs.
The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.

Neil Brown, Maidstone,

Bye bye Gordon, bye bye. So long Darling, don't cry.

W Smith, Manchester,

Unfortuneately for people like me, degree, engineer, runs own business, emmigrated to new zealand because of new labour and finally gordie, its to late, the damage is done, labour has changed the face of britain for ever, they have ruined it!

James, Auckland/&outhampton, UK/NZ

Labour have done infinitely more damage to the fabric of british life in 11 years than even maggie and john managed in 17.
There is nothing left to ruin.
The fake economy is about to implode.
The last person to leave toss the keys on the docks and leave gordon and his miserable new tenants to it!

Cheryl L, crewe, UK

I stopped voting Labour after they fed us with all those lies and then attacked Iraq.
I thought the Labour party would be above that kind of Empire crap. Sadly i was wrong.
They will now be run out of office and good riddance to them.
Warmongerers .

john, buenos aires, argentina

Nick Dixon.
Selfish people like you are as bad as this dreadful government. It is NOT all good for thousands of decent hard working people, gulled into taking out mortgages by the banks who are now slamming the door.

edwina rigby, blackburn,

The people support 42 days because they want to see some (any?) action taken re terrorists and radicals. If the govt did tackle these eg hate preachers in mosques, still huge immigration from Non EU countries, radicals and illegals granted permission to stay etc, the people may not be so desperate

David Cartright, Birmingham,

We need a clean slate - no more hidden expenses, no more "environmental taxation" which is based on inconclusive science and espoused by unqualified idiot ministers, no more distractions about the (non) personality of Brown and lets get back to actually running the country. Please.

Ross Liversidge, Ripon, UK

It's all good , what with Brown on his way out and cost of living increases helping house prices tumble . Who know's we could be declared a sane country soon , as we were before the lunatics took over in '97

Nick Dixon, Sutton Coldfield, England

if a quarter of a country is unhappy with their leadership then a general election should be called. this is a democracy yet people feel stuck with what they have.

Alex, London, England

Its the British way of saying "thank you " to Gordon.

For all the Tax

For all rhe squandered money.

For the way we are treated.


Hasta la vista .

ronnie, bucks, UK

Labour are a party or tax and waste, undemocratic, do not deliver on their promises spend too much time with minorities at the expense at the majority. I ask myself how has my life improved over the last 11 years and really it hasn't. If anything I believe Labour are eroding my quality of life.

steve tea, manchester, cheshire

It is a tragedy that the concept of liberty was hijacked by the anti-Western mob, so that most English people no longer even realise that when fear-mongering politicians introduce fascist measures, it is the English tradition of liberty that is being trashed.

Oliver Chettle, Bedford,

I decided to stop voting Labour when they announced they were making cannabis a class B drug again.

I hope lots of other previous Labour voters will ditch the party for that reason.

There is an Internet pledge asking people to promise to vote, but not for anyone who wants to keep cannabis illegal.

David, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK

Expect Labour's ratings to plummet further after this evenings screening of Dispatches! Considering the interview subject is current and talking about very recent and ongoing events, Brown / Darling et al may as well just start packing. They sounded very inept and lost.

Breeze, Londres,

Only a quarter of the electorate support Gordon & Labour. Even for a pretend democracy like the UK, that is pretty disgraceful. We have an hereditary Head of State & an unelected Head of Govt. Only 25% support a Govt which is taking decisions that affect the UK's long-term future (Lisbon ConTreaty)

Donna Walker, Effingham, England

The Conservative Party has no real independent policies,the same as the Labour Party yet the public ( or at least those canvassed by the opinion poll) cannot see an alternative. It is just a matter of which brand of baked beans you prefer.

MS, London,

Never trust a poll quoted by a politician unless they also tell you the exact question asked. The question might have been "If you knew it would stop a major terrorist attack, would you back 42 days?" I doubt v much if it was a straightforward "Do you think 42 days is a good idea in general.

Liz , Edinburgh,

If you ask the right leading question of an uninformed audience they'll say anything you want - no-one who understands this legislation supports it.

Edward Green, Upminster,

A friend was detained under Anti-terrorist legislation when quietly waiting for his wife. In response to his query an officer told him there had been a spate of burglaries in the area. Whilst later released without charge it shows that if powers are created they will be abused.

William Epps, Broadstairs, UK

And Brown and Smith still want to go ahead with the 42 day detention ?Also MI5 don't want 42 days.No wonder their support has hit rock bottom.GB'S supposedly listening,yeah right.

john , shrewsbury, uk

I disagree with the headline........ "Gordon Brown slides to lower poll rating than Iain Duncan Smith" ........... Gordon Brown has done far more for the Conservative party than IDS ever did.

Barry , Nottingham, UK

'three quarters back the proposal. 40% say the increase is justified.' I think there's a slight contradiction there.

Pete Mac, Plymouth,

"...nearly three-quarters of voters back the proposal"

Three-quarters have been successfully conned into believing the threat of terrorism is higher than it really is.
I thought the British weren't so naive especially after 30 odd years of greater risk from the Irish Republican Extremism

Andrew, Cheshire, England

Sack the terror politics. We are sick of it. only the GMTV watchers believe it. Lets get back to Politicians we can be proud of. Not the frightened lot that pack Westminster at the present.

Mark, Gateshead, UK