UK Home Secretary: No deals struck to secure passage of proposed terror laws
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith insisted Sunday that no back-room deals have been struck to help the government win a key vote on toughening the country's terror laws.
Lawmakers will vote on Wednesday on plans to give police up to 42 days to detain terrorism suspects before charges are filed, extending the current limit of 28 days.
Rejection of the proposal by lawmakers would be Prime Minister Gordon Brown's first defeat in Parliament and would be likely to dent his grip on power.
Police and some lawmakers back the plans, saying officers increasingly need more time to unravel complex terrorism cases and collect evidence from multiple countries.
Opponents of the proposals, who include Britain's chief prosecutor, civil liberties groups and the main opposition Conservative Party, claim the changes are unnecessary.
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