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David Davis today accused Gordon Brown of "supreme political cowardice" after Labour indicated that it could refuse to field a candidate in a by-election called after his extraordinary resignation as an MP.

A day after Mr Davis suddenly quit the frontbench to fight a single-issue contest to defend civil liberties, the former Shadow Home Secretary denounced comments by the Prime Minister describing the move as a "stunt that has become a farce".

Mr Davis, 59, gambled his career — and his party’s short-term fortunes — by saying that he intended to "take a stand" against the Government’s "slow strangulation of fundamental British freedoms", in particular Mr Brown's decision to push for an extension of detention-without-charge of terror suspects from 28 to 42 days.

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However if Labour were to refuse to stand against him in Haltemprice and Howden - joining the Liberal Democrats in sitting out the contest - Mr Davis's only real opponent might be Kelvin MacKenzie, the former Sun newspaper editor, who said he was considering standing as an independent candidate in favour of 42 days.

Standing in front of his constituency headquarters, surrounded by cheering supporters, Mr Davis claimed that the contest would be "a great battle, great debate, really serious," and delivered what he said was a message for the Prime Minister.

"Come and defend it. Send your ministers, send your MPs to defend this policy and we’ll put it to the test with people who can’t be bullied or bribed - the people of East Yorkshire," he said.

Referring to speculation that Labour may not participate, he warned: "Don’t treat my constituents with contempt." Of the possibility of the former Sun editor participating, he said: "If Kelvin MacKenzie wants to come, fine. But let’s keep it serious."

Earlier, Mr Davis attacked the Prime Minister personally, saying: "Gordon Brown’s refusal to field a candidate is supreme political cowardice. He is not prepared to debate, and is unwilling to let the people vote on Labour’s miserable track record in stifling our fundamental freedoms — except under conditions in which he can bully and bribe his way to victory."

Mr Brown, however, today maximised the deep unease felt within the Tory frontbench over Mr Davis's move, which David Cameron emphasised was a "courageous" personal decision but had been taken entirely independently.

The resignation instantly took pressure off the Prime Minister, who had been under attack for managing to squeeze through his legislation only with the help of the Democratic Unionists and by fierce arm-twisting of his MPs. He was also expecting to face a difficult ride in getting the Bill through the House of Lords.

"I think everyone now recognises that this is a stunt that has become a farce and has revealed the deep divisions of the party," the Prime Minister said, after a breakfast meeting with Ban Ki Moon, the UN Secretary-General.

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