Soames, you're noy only an embarrassment to your party - Winnie will be turning in his grave - but more importantly, you've perplexed your regiment - Flashman would have served in a monastery in Bognor Regis rather than toe the party line.

jojo, Glos,

Davies has guts. If just one labour member, just one, had the same guts and stood against him we'd have a mini referendum on the issue and then we'd know what the PEOPLE think.

michael, nice, france

Excellent. At last a mainstream politician is prepared to make a stand on a point of principle. It's enough to restore your faith in politicians. When the head of the data protection service says we have sleep-walked into a surveillance society it should shake us all into action. Go for it David!

Graham Rowan, Richmond, Surrey

David Davies has crystalised a problem that has been growing for some time and is demonstrated very clearly by the comments emanating from Westminster that are hostile to him whereas almost every comment from the public supports him. Just look at the comments on here.

MarkS, Leeds,

I've never voted Tory in my life, but David Davis has got it right this time. We are becoming a nation under surveillance - even people carrying out lawful picket duties in the Shell tanker strike are filmed by police holding video cameras. It has gone too far, and something needs to be done.

Colin, Oxford,

I do not agree with all of Mr Davis's views and I guess I could be called a 'floating voter' but on this issue I am at one with him. In my view the country is continually progressing to a 'Big Brother' state. We now seem to rely on technology/systems rather than old fashioned policing/judgement

steve purchase, new forest,

I disagree with all the other politicians who say he is mad. I feel that this country is slowly becoming a big brother state and anyone who is willing to debate that at the national level is doing everyone a service.

Hats off to Mr Davis. If he is collecting for his campaign, I will be donating

James Davies, Cambridge, UK

I cannot credit the incompetence of No 10 spindoctors. All GB should have said about DD is 'this is an issue for the Conservatives to deal with - we are surprised as everybody else. We'll decide whether to put up a candidate in due course' FULLSTOP. But no they have to political capital out of it

Dr Ian Burgess, Bristol,

There is a glaring chasm here between the response of the political and media elites to this, and the response of the average person. For some reason, many politicians and seemingly all journalists seem to think DD mad, whilst there is such support from those outside that world.

Will Young, London, UK

At last the MSM is beginning to get it. The Blogosphere is well ahead on this. Davis has huge popular support and this is a disaster for Brown whichever way he plays it. Cameron is of course right not to make this party-political, but Brown is in a no-win situation on this.

NBeale, London, England

Labour wouldn't dare contest, imagine the result...
Gordon would be on the dole!
Yes Davis is principled, Soames doesn't like this because he's a close friend of Cameron's, no principles there worth applauding!
The public arn't fooled, erosion of civil liberties is the talking point,ignore at peril.

Peter, Lichfield., England.

suddenly all the sensational news stories about
MPs' and MEPs' expenses rackets have vanished !

Is this another diversionary tactic ?

john regan, London, UK

It's simply not true that there is no precedent for a sitting MP resigning their seat to contest a by-election. In 1986 all 15 Northern Irish Unionist MPs resigned their seats in protest at the Anglo-Irish Agreement.

Andrew Turvey, Nottingham, England

Politicians and journo's judge David Davis by their own standards and rules. The rules that turn people off politics. I dislike Davis's right wing views on a range of issues . But I aplaud his principled stand on civil liberties. Although I am left of the centre, I really hope he succeeds.

Yannis, London, UK

Reminds me of when Tony Benn and Barbara Castle joined Enoch Powell in the anti-Common Market Campaign of the 1970's.

Go get em Bob and David !!!!

ian payne, walsall,

What a waste of time and energy, what they decide to do as a theatrical gesture will do little to help hard pressed famileies. If the the Tories are seriou, get real about real issues and not be plonkers. They are not a serious alternative to Labour who despit recent problems live in reality.

Glen / London, London, UK

Britain has been turned into a nasty country where the State seems to be in fear of it's citizens. These matters need debating and I hope that Mr. Davis can start that debate.

Carpenter, Preston, England

'Words cannot express how foolish he has been'.

Better, my dear Soames, to save that epithet for any Tory mad enough to get in Davis' way.

Despite the best efforts of the political/media elite of this country, the man's become a national hero.

And quite right too.

Bob, Liverpool, UK

David Davis is right about the Westminster village, surprising when it has itself been emasculated almost to the degree that the general public has by this elective dictatorship. Many voters have no experience of any other system. They are about to find that it is possible to break the mould.

Steve Buckel, Braunau-am-Inn, Austria

Is it any wonder we have such a bland, lifeless politics if the Westminster village believes that reliability is all? What about principle?

The Westminster village is all about jockeying for power, playing the game. I don't believe i'm alone in wishing it was about more. Good luck Mr Davis

James , Leeds,

If all 36 of the Labour rebels actively support Davis, won't that give the Labour leadership the awkward choice between withdrawing the whip and becoming a minority government, or keeping supporters of a Tory within the party instead?

I do hope plenty of rebels support Davis!

Simon, Brentwood, UK

Well my head tells me that David Davis is crazy but my heart says Go for it. After all it is a worthy cause. This Labour government which was supposed to stand up for the poor and the oppressed is the one that is keeping the poor in their place and steadily eroding all our civil liberties.

John Goode, Welwyn Garden City, UK

What the public are not aware of, are the implacations of the 42 days. It's all very well saying good for terrorism. This will not only effect terrorism but everything and everyone.

Civil liberty is the big issue here and they know it, but Brown and lackies are only playing for popularity votes.

Asw, Hong Kong,

I believe every Englishman will applaude someone who stands by their principles, even though they may disagree with them.
Perceived lack of principles is one of the things that has put MP's on a par with used car salesmen. Along with greed and self interest at the expense of the general populace.

Ray Harvey, Hitchin, uk

According to polls the vast majority of the voters in this country were in favour of the bill. This guy is out of touch and endagering the lead the tories have with his know better than the people approach. Who pays for this unnecessary bi election? We need referendums not dictators.

kenny livitt, hove,

There is precedent for sitting MPs to resign to fight by-elections - most recently the Ulster Unionists after the Anglo-Irish agreement in the 1980s.

Ganesh Sittampalam, St Neots,

Just to add to the irony, Sir WInston Churchill once said:

"What is the use of living, if it be not to strive for noble causes and to make this muddled world a better place for those who will live in it after we are gone?"

Really Mr Soames you should have taken notice of your Grandfather......

Watt Tyler, Kent, England

So there are a few principled and honourable Labour MPs - other than Frank Field of course. Well done Marshall-Andrews and Gibson for standing up to the bullying of your party leader.

Donna Walker, Effingham, England