Benn praises Tory rebel's courage

The controversial former Labour cabinet minister was speaking alongside Mr Davis as the pair shared a stage in Hull as part of the former shadow home secretary's bid for re-election.

Mr Benn said he supported the leading Tory's stand adding: "David's courage in fighting it - people will look back in the future and say 'thank God'."

Mr Davis introduced the evening of questions in the hall of the Hymer's College private school by praising Mr Benn.

He said the two men had been friends for about 10 years, but added: "You couldn't probably, in some sense, get two people further apart than Tony and myself. The truth is that on this issue we are as one."

During a series of largely sympathetic questions, Mr Davis told the audience of around 100 people: "This campaign is, frankly, aimed at changing history. We're trying to stop the erosion of our freedoms."

He again criticised Labour's decision not to put up a candidate as "running away from the argument" and repeated his contention that ministers and former ministers had been barred from publicly debating the issues with him.

"They know that when they have the argument, and the facts get out, they lose," he said. "If the Government won't turn up we'll have to find other ways of having this debate. We're going to have a very, very unusual campaign. It's going to be fascinating."

Among the jokes and the clear warmth between the two men, Mr Benn did manage to make the point that he believed the threat of terrorism would be reduced if troops were withdrawn from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mr Davis smiled as he responded: "That's a debate for another day."