Security chief's one-hour U-turn over terror arrests

Gordon Brown's security minister yesterday performed one of the fastest U-turns in political history over plans to lock up terror suspects without charge.

In a radio interview, Lord West said he was not "fully convinced" by the Prime Minister's argument for increasing the current detention limit of 28 days.

An hour later, following a meeting with Mr Brown in Downing Street, he issued a "clarifying" statement insisting he supported the Prime Minister's plans.

The speed of the volte-face was ridiculed by Opposition politicians, who said it was clear he had been read the riot act by Mr Brown.

Mr Brown unveiled plans in last week's Queen's Speech to increase the limit beyond 28 days. He is looking at possibly doubling it.

Lord West initially told the Radio 4 Today programme: "I want to have absolute evidence that we actually need longer than 28 days.

"I want to be totally convinced because I am not going to go and push for something that actually affects the liberty of the individual unless there is a real necessity for it.

"I still need to be fully convinced that we absolutely need more than 28 days and I also need to be convinced what is the best way of doing that."

He then spent half an hour in talks with Mr Brown and emerged to tell reporters: "My feeling is, yes, we need more than 28 days."

In a statement, he added: "I am quite clear that the greater complexities of terrorist plots will mean that we will need the power to detain certain individuals for more than 28 days.

"I am convinced that we need to legislate now so that we have the necessary powers when we need them.

"The Government would be failing in its responsibility to protect national security if we waited until we needed more than 28 days to act."

Lord West, former head of the Royal Navy and a Falklands hero, sought to blame the discrepancy in his statements on his background.

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He said: "I haven't changed my views. Being a simple sailor and not a politician, maybe I didn't choose my words well."

But his about-turn was a gift for opponents of the Government's plans to extend the 28-day limit, including the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and many Labour backbenchers.

Lord West's doubts over the plans are especially embarrassing as he would be in charge of piloting the terror measures through the House of Lords.

In Commons exchanges later, Tory leader David Cameron accused the Prime Minister of "leaning on" the minister.

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg said: "This is Keystone Kops politics.

"First the Government wanted 90 days, then 56, then it failed to produce any evidence for a change and the Home Secretary admitted she had no idea how many extra days she wanted.

"Now we have the pitiful spectacle of a minister saying one thing at ten minutes past eight and the exact opposite an hour later after a meeting with the Prime Minister.

"It is alarming that on such a vital issue the Government has no idea whether it is coming or going."

Mr Brown's official spokesman denied that Lord West had been carpeted. He said: "I will let Lord West's words in his most recent statement speak for themselves."

Lord West was made a security minister in June.