Tony Blair hit by first parliamentary defeat

LONDON— British Prime Minister Tony Blair suffered his first major parliamentary defeat yesterday over new antiterrorism powers, raising fresh questions about his future. The House of Commons voted 322 to 291 against plans to let police hold terrorist suspects for up to 90 days without charge, as nearly 50 members of Blair’s Labour party refused to support him.

Police called for the new powers after Islamist suicide bombers killed 52 people in London on July 7. Critics say the powers would have been a huge infringement of civil liberties.

Legislators later voted to raise the detention limit, from 14 days to a maximum of 28 days.

Blair vowed not to be deflected by his first reverse in Parliament since taking office in 1997 despite calls from the main opposition Conservatives for him to consider quitting.

“ It’s better sometimes to lose doing the right thing than to win doing the wrong thing,” Blair told the BBC.

Blair, who won a third term in national elections last May, had recalled his two top ministers — finance minister Gordon Brown and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw — from trips abroad in an effort to win the vote. He also put his authority on the line, telling parliamentarians it was their “ duty” to support the measure. But not enough of his supporters listened.

“ Mr. Blair’s authority has been diminished almost to vanishing point,” said Conservative leader Michael Howard. “ He is no longer able to carry his own party with him. He must now consider his position.” Bookmakers William Hill shortened the odds on Blair leaving office before the end of 2006, despite his determination to serve a full third term in power, and party rules that discourage leadership challenges.

Financial markets reacted swiftly to the defeat, the pound performing lower against the U. S. dollar after the vote.

“ It highlights the weakness of Blair’s leadership and increases the risk on U. K. assets but . . . the impact is likely to be short- lived,” said Adam Cole, senior currency strategist of RBC Capital Markets. In television interviews, Blair vowed not to quit and to serve a full term. But critics and analysts say his decision not to fight another election has weakened his authority. The decision to recall Brown from a Middle East trip for the vote will reinforce the view he is increasingly reliant on his likely successor. The elections in May slashed Blair’s parliamentary majority by about 100 to 66, meaning fewer than 40 Labour members can defeat him by voting with the combined opposition ranks. He has had close shaves before, notably over waging war in Iraq, but had never previously lost in the Commons.

Richard Wyn Jones, political expert at Aberystwyth University in Wales, said Blair’s standing had surely taken a hit.

“ If 40 Labour members voted against him when the chips are down, when he’s called in all the favours, twisted all the arms, that really does kick his authority,” said Jones. Some Labour parliamentarians said this could be the first clash of many, particularly over health, welfare and education reforms that Blair holds dear but many in his party oppose. But Blair said: “ I don’t think we will be defeated on those programs at all.”