Brown risks rebellion with push for tougher terror law

The Chancellor confirmed yesterday that he is ready to risk a fresh confrontation with his own party over civil liberties as soon as he becomes prime minister.

Critics warned that any attempt to extend the amount of time a suspect can be held without charge would amount to "internment".

But Mr Brown said he wanted to secure public support for the changes he believes are needed to combat increasingly sophisticated terror networks.

He used his latest appearance on the Labour campaign trail to set out a package of measures for improving national security.

It includes allowing police to question suspects after they are charged - currently banned under law. Evidence from phone-tapping could be made admissible in court for the first time.

The announcement caused annoyance in the Home Office, where John Reid is preparing to unveil his own counter-terror proposals on Thursday.

Top of the agenda for Mr Brown is his proposal to re- open the acrimonious debate over how long police should be allowed to hold suspects without charge.

In 2005, Tony Blair suffered his first Commons defeat when his plan to extend detention to 90 days was rejected.

The Government settled for 28 days, but Mr Brown believes the period should be extended to give police more time to investigate complex terror plots.

An ICM poll yesterday gave Mr Brown a sevenpoint lead over David Cameron on dealing with terrorism, with 40 per cent of those asked saying they trusted him more than the Tory leader - on 33 per cent - to handle the issue.

The survey in the Sunday Telegraph also gave the Chancellor a 10 point lead over Mr Cameron - 53 per cent to 43 per cent - as the politician most identified as a "strong leader".

The tough message from Mr Brown confirmed that he is preparing to do battle with Mr Cameron on national security.

He believes the Tory party's preoccupation with civil liberties has left it vulnerable to claims that it does not take seriously the need to protect the public.

Speaking at a Labour hustings, the Chancellor sweetened the pill by offering to hold extensive consultations, and emphasised the need to win over moderate Muslims.

Mr Brown said he would introduce measures to safeguard civil liberties, including a requirement for judicial review of a detention every seven days.

In a break with Tony Blair, he said he was ready to hold cross-party talks at Privy Council level - involving senior politicians - to discuss lifting the ban on using phone-tap evidence in court.

The security services have expressed fears that the move risked exposing their surveillance methods, but Britain is one of the only countries that prohibits such evidence in terror trials.

Mr Brown also wants to make support for terrorism an aggravating factor when judges consider sentencing, as they currently do with racial crime.

He said he was ready to be "tough in the security measures necessary to prevent terrorist incidents", but would make sure that "at no point will our British traditions of supporting and defending civil libertiesbe put at risk".

Mr Brown added: "It is absolutely clear to me that we've got to win the battle of hearts and minds so we can separate the extremists who preach violence from moderate members of all communities who want us to have a civilised life."

Some Labour MPs, led by deputy leadership candidate Harriet Harman, said Mr Brown would need to present compelling evidence that 28 days was not enough.

Another candidate, Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain, said there had to be a "careful balance between individual liberty and security".

Tory sources said no new evidence had been put forward to show police need more time.

Liberal Democrat spokesman Nick Clegg said: "There is not much evidence of fresh thinking from Gordon Brown.

"However, at least he appears a little more concerned about parliamentary accountability-than his predecessor."

The campaign group Liberty said it supported the use of phone-tap evidence and post-charge questioning, but as alternatives to extending detention, not in addition to it.

Director Shami Chakrabarti said: "Twenty- eight days is already the longest period to hold a person without charge in the free world. If you go beyond 28 days it is internment."