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David Cameron does not often put himself at odds with public opinion but the man whom he beat to become leader of the Conservative Party did not give him much choice.

David Davis is said to have told Mr Cameron that he would rather resign than support the Government’s efforts to extend the period of pre-charge detention beyond 28 days. George Osborne and Michael Gove feared that the Tories risked being painted as “soft on terrorism” but were overruled after a series of private meetings between the two former rivals.

Mr Cameron and Mr Davis had plotted to reverse Michael Howard’s support for the Government’s ID card scheme before the last election. The Conservative leader was persuaded that extending precharge detention was another politically driven, ill-thought-out abuse of civil liberties.

In doing so Mr Cameron was well aware that he was taking a position at odds with many party activists, not to mention voters. But Mr Davis’s threat – as well as his own inclination – led him to gamble.

The decision appeared to be vindicated as key figures such as Sir Ken Macdonald, the Director of Public Prosecutions, and Lord Goldsmith, the former Attorney-General, insisted that the measure was not needed.

Those Shadow Cabinet members who had initial doubts agreed to set aside their worries and enjoy the plaudits of civil liberties campaigners. As Gordon Brown struggled to sell his case, Mr Cameron’s strategy on the Counter-Terrorism Bill appeared to be paying off. It allowed the Tory leader to appeal to Liberal Democrat voters and exploit internal Labour tensions while simultaneously countering the charge that he was a shallow political opportunist.

The prospect of inflicting a grave defeat on Mr Brown on an issue of principle led almost all Tory MPs to fall into line. Only Ann Widdecombe, who served as a Home Office minister shortly after Mr Cameron left the department as a special adviser in 1995, broke ranks publicly. “It’s not my stand and I can’t really defend it,” she said before the vote.

ConservativeHome, the activists’ website, also voiced its concern. “A mature political party, interested in public safety, shouldn’t lightly dismiss the arguments of such a senior antiterrorist specialist and a senior police chief,” an editorial said yesterday.

Mr Cameron knows that Mr Brown’s victory will mean that he will face the “soft-on-terror” gibe from now until the election. Seeking to deflect this charge, he invoked Northern Ireland at Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday. “This party needs no reminders of the importance of fighting terrorism. The first Member of Parliament I ever wrote a speech for, Ian Gow, was murdered by the IRA. The first Member of Parliament who ever represented me, Airey Neave, is commemorated above that door, murdered by the IRA.”

Six hours later the IRA was again cited – this time by the Democratic Unionist MP Willie McCrea speaking in support of the Government. “Given our 35-year history of facing terrorism, we couldn’t deny any weapon.”

The Tory leader held a barbecue party at his North Kensington home for a small group of close friends and family last night. Had Mr Brown been defeated, it would have also served as a victory celebration. In the event Mr Cameron might well have reflected on whether his gamble with public opinion will now pay off.

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