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Gordon Brown bought himself time after scraping a Commons majority over 42 days’ detention by just nine votes last night — thanks to the support of nine Northern Ireland MPs.

Having put his authority on the line to extend the period in which police can hold terrorist suspects without charge, his win sparked astonishing scenes of recrimination against the Democratic Unionist MPs.

Even though the Prime Minister’s huge personal and political gamble paid off in the Commons voting lobbies, it came at a price. Whips had cautioned that he would lose the vote and he used up much of his credit with Labour MPs by pleading with them personally to put their consciences aside and support him, a tactic that ministers acknowledged could be used only rarely.

The result gives Mr Brown, under pressure for weeks after poor election results, space to mount a fightback.

But there was an unknown financial and political cost as rebels and apparently the Unionists were bought off with promises of future favours and inducements. Both the Unionists and Downing Street denied any deal.

The small majority will also be taken as a signal by the Lords, where the legislation moves now, that it can savage the measure if it wishes.

Thirty-six Labour MPs voted against Mr Brown — more than enough to defeat him had he not had outside assistance. However, there were claims that he reduced the figure by placating potential rebels with pledges ranging from compensation for miners with lung disease to reducing UK support for sanctions against Cuba. Compensation was also promised for people detained wrongly for up to 42 days.

The biggest mystery was over what had convinced the DUP Members to come on board. They had been wooed by both sides. Yesterday afternoon some, including the Rev Ian Paisley, met Mr Brown. He appealed for their support on national security grounds.

Last night it was claimed that ministers had promised them that the £200 million revenue from Northern Ireland water rates will go to the Executive rather than the Treasury.

Sources in Belfast said that there had been discussions about a peerage for Mr Paisley. It was also said that Shaun Woodward, the Northern Ireland Secretary, had given a firm promise that the 1967 Abortion Act would not be extended to Northern Ireland through the embryology Bill that is currently passing through Parliament.

Immediately after the vote there were ill-tempered clashes in Westminster corridors between Conservative and DUP Members. One Tory whip said: “We won’t forget this.” The drama was intensified in that the DUP only made its final decision in a meeting ten minutes before the division.

William McCrea, a DUP Member, said: “We voted side by side together remembering Northern Ireland knows more than anyone else about the ravages of terrorism. We could not do anything that would endanger the people of the United Kingdom.”

David Davis, the Shadow Home Secretary, said that the Government had won the vote but lost the argument. “Gordon Brown can’t be proud today,” he said. He added that the nine DUP MPs who saved the Government from defeat looked “very uncomfortable” in the House of Commons chamber.

The Labour backbencher Austin Mitchell said that he had intended to vote against 42 days, but changed his mind and backed the Government in order to “save Gordon Brown for the nation”. He said: “I support him and I think he would be on his way out if he had been defeated on this.”

Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader, said that it was a sad day for British liberties and a victory of pork-barrel politics over principle. “What we have seen is the sacrifice of principle in order to save the skin of a sinking Prime Minister,” he said.

The vote followed what MPs described as one of the most intensive lobbying operations in years.

Mr Cameron said that the measure was unnecessary and counter-productive. He said: “Isn’t it clear that terrorists want to destroy our freedom and when we trash our liberties we do their work for them?”

KEY VOTES

Labour rebels Diane Abbott, Richard Burden, Katy Clark, Harry Cohen, Frank Cook, Jeremy Corbyn, Jim Cousins, Andrew Dismore, Frank Dobson, David Drew, Paul Farrelly, Mark Fisher, Paul Flynn, Neil Gerrard, Ian Gibson, Roger Godsiff, John Grogan, Dai Havard, Kate Hoey, Kelvin Hopkins, Glenda Jackson, Lynne Jones, Peter Kilfoyle, John McDonnell, Andrew Mackinlay, Bob Marshall-Andrews, Michael Meacher, Julie Morgan, Chris Mullin, Doug Naysmith, Gordon Prentice, Linda Riordan, Alan Simpson, Emily Thornberry, David Winnick, Mike Wood

Tory rebel Ann Widdecombe

Others who backed Government Lady Sylvia Hermon (Ulster Unionist), Bob Spink (Ukip)

— David Taylor (Labour) voted in both lobbies

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