Gordon Brown thought his luck had changed when the shadow home secretary said he was resigning over 42-day detention. Conservatives, by contrast, thought he had gone mad. Yet to judge from the emails sent by Tory activists, Labour voters and people who had never given a thought to politics, the MP for Haltemprice and Howden may be on to something, writes political editor Gaby Hinsliff
Without going that far, a principle ought to be widely applicable. A principled resignation should be inspirational, making the rest of us hope that we would have the courage to do likewise. Above all, principles should be easily distinguishable from pique. So what principle was David Davis upholding? Is he arguing that whenever an opposition MP disagrees with an item of government policy, he should resign and force a by-election? On that basis, there would be several by-elections every week. We have a parliamentary democracy in which the opposition sets out its arguments; we have general elections, at which the arguments reach their climax. Last week, the Opposition lost the vote, but won the argument. The House of Lords will almost certainly ratify the latter victory, which will probably be the end of the matter. Ministers have no enthusiasm for re-bribing the DUPs. On this occasion, Parliament worked as it ought to. There is absolutely no need for the distraction of Don David Quixote Davis fighting the windmill by-election.
So what principle was David Davis upholding? Is he arguing that whenever an opposition MP disagrees with an item of government policy, he should resign and force a by-election? On that basis, there would be several by-elections every week. We have a parliamentary democracy in which the opposition sets out its arguments; we have general elections, at which the arguments reach their climax.
Last week, the Opposition lost the vote, but won the argument. The House of Lords will almost certainly ratify the latter victory, which will probably be the end of the matter. Ministers have no enthusiasm for re-bribing the DUPs. On this occasion, Parliament worked as it ought to. There is absolutely no need for the distraction of Don David Quixote Davis fighting the windmill by-election.
