THE British government renewed the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) last night, arguing that the UK still "faced an exceptional threat" from terrorists. It later accused the Labour Party of being unfit to govern after it decided to abstain.
The annual order renewing the PTA was passed by 304 votes to 13, a government majority of 291. Several Labour MPs again defied the leadership by voting against the Act.
Urging the Labour party to change its stance, the Home Secretary, Mr Michael Howard, stated he did not want the IBA to believe that its decision to abstain was a reason to renew its bombing campaign.
"A united house will send the clearest possible message to the terrorists that their actions cannot and will not be tolerated, that they cannot win, that the bomb and the bullet will never triumph over the wishes of the vast majority who want peace and democracy," he said.
However the Shadow Home Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, said Labonr was opposed to exclusion orders and felt that the extension of detention orders should be agreed independently by a judge.
"We are one Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland yet a terrorist who is regarded as so dangerous that he may not be allowed anywhere on the mainland is allowed to walk freely in Northern Ireland. In reverse, a suspect may be banned from Belfast but not Canary Wharf or Manchester.
Mr Straw added that a Labour government would immediately revoke the existing 23 exclusion orders which he considered to be a "breach of basic human rights".
After Labour declared its intention to abstain, Mr Howard immediately accused the party of being "wholly unfit to govern" as it was unable to form a view on how to protect Britain from terrorists.
"Could anything more clearly demonstrate the fact that they are wholly unfit to govern? We still face an exceptional threat from terrorism. The spate of recent attacks in Northern Ireland speak for themselves," he said.