The Government has been getting it wrong on terrorism. It shouldn't have said that the 'rules of the game' were changing after the 2005 London bombings.
It shouldn't have bought into the grandiose concept of a 'war on terror', and it shouldn't have acted as if new laws were the answer to people armed with extremist views and home-made bombs.
This happens to be exactly what I believe, but interestingly enough these views were expressed just two weeks ago by the Government's Police and Security Minister Tony McNulty, speaking at the Labour Party Conference.
Coupled with similarly sensible, thoughtful remarks from Gordon Brown and the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, this could signal a rethink. It's early days, and a draconian move to hold people for up to 56 days without charge is still on the cards, but my hope is that the Government has rethought the war on terror.
If Mr Brown's government - or indeed David Cameron's - can reaffirm the importance of proper policing and fair trials, it ...
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