What?
From the BBC breaking news:
"Shadow home secretary David Davis is set to resign as an MP, the BBC understands.
It is thought he wants to trigger a by-election in his Haltemprice and Howden seat. Mr Davis has been a passionate opponent of plans to extend the terror detention limit to 42 days. It is thought he has privately threatened to resign if the Tories wavered on the issue. He will make a statement shortly."
UPDATE 1.20:
Listening to DD, Julie Kirkbride & Nigel Evans just now on Radio 4. JK & NE applauding DD's commitment & passion for civil liberties. NE offering to go and campaign for him. Unprecedented stuff this. But:
CCHQ has said off the record that DD will not be given any support apparently. His Association Chairman (my sympathies, as Quentin Davies's former chairman!) is now on and saying he will support DD. Apparently DD suggested this "earlier in the week" - interesting.
Will DD be standing as the official Conservative candidate or as an independent? Why did he feel that he was unable to make the case for civil liberties as Shadow Home Secretary? If DD stands as a Conservative, he surely must receive Party support? If he stands as an independent, can he then re-join the party? Would he be welcome back?
The Lib Dems won't be putting up a candidate. Presumably they will be supporting what DD says. The Conservative Party will have to engage with this. Will we commit to an early repeal of 42 days?
Iain Dale is on now - he is "shocked". So are we all! This is entirely uncharted territory.
1.40 update
I cannot see an up-side for the Conservative Party in this. This can only be seen as a challenge to David Cameron. Why has he done this? Why now? Why did his job not give him a sufficient platform to make the case he wanted to? Why has he decided that he needed to resign to campaign on the erosion of civil liberties and on 42 days, when he was the Party's spokesman on those issues? No doubt we will find out more soon, but my current emotion is utter dismay. It suggests that DD believes the Party does not share his commitment - why else resign?
2.00
What happens if Brown refuses to play ball and won't put up a candidate, saying that Parliament is the proper forum for this? This would then look like a quixotic gesture at best. Others might be less charitable. I applaud DD's commitment to civil liberties. But his tactics are another thing altogether.
No more now.
