National newspaper dubbs Lazarowicz 'turncoat' for civil liberties vote

10.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 12th Jun 2008

Edinburgh North & Leith Labour MP Mark Lazarowicz has been described as a 'turncoat' by the Guardian newspaper after backing Gordon Brown's plan to detain potentially innocent people for 42 days without charge.

Yesterday, the Government narrowly won a vote in the House of Commons to increase the time people can be detained without charge from 28 to 42 days. Over 30 Labour MPs voted against the Government and the measure was passed with a majority of only eight.

Two years ago and before he became a junior member of the Government, local Labour MP Mark Lazarowicz voted against extending the length of time people could be held without charge beyond 28 days. However yesterday, he refused to join 36 other Labour MPs yesterday in opposing increasing the time people can be detained without charge to 42 days, a move which many have described as an attack on people's basic civil liberties. Mark Lazarowicz's actions left him being described as a 'turncoat' by the Guardian newspaper.

Local Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, Kevin Lang said, "Mark Lazarowicz has clearly put his Government job before his principles. Just two years ago as a backbencher, he voted against extending the 28 day limit. Now, as a junior member of the Labour Government, he has reaffirmed his new status as one of Gordon Brown's most loyal MPs by backing an increase to 42 days.

"At the last election, Mark Lazarowicz promised to protect civil liberties. His vote in parliament on detention without charge is just the latest example of a series of broken promises. All of this for a measure that no one thinks is necessary, no one thinks will work in practice everyone knows will never reach the statute book."