BRITAIN: Tony Blair yesterday saw off another backbench rebellion as MPs approved his controversial anti-terror laws.
The government secured a majority of 38 in a Commons vote to outlaw the "glorification" of terrorist acts.
A total of 17 Labour MPs voted with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats against the measure, with Tory leader David Cameron breaking off from paternity leave to vote.
The vote overturns an amendment to the Terrorism Bill by the House of Lords that had struck "glorification" from the law.
Downing Street said MPs had sent a clear signal of their determination to deal with those who glorify terrorism. Number 10 said the prime minister expected the Lords to respect that signal when the Bill returns to them.
The glorification proposal was introduced in the wake of the July 7th London bombings last year as part of measures to clamp down on "preachers of hate".
Civil liberties campaigners and opposition politicians claim that such actions are already banned and warn that innocent people could be caught up in the ban.
The measure scraped through the Commons last year by just one vote before being removed by peers.