Unwanted power

The absurdity of the government's position on extending detention without charge is highlighted today by the stance of Elish Angiolini, Scotland's Lord Advocate. Tomorrow MPs will be asked to back legislation that would enable police to seize terror suspects and keep them locked up for six weeks without charge and without even telling them why they are being investigated. But who wants this power? Not the Conservatives, nor the Liberal Democrats, nor many Labour backbenchers who all believe it tramples on precious human rights won over centuries. Not MI5, nor Director of Public Prosecutions Sir Ken MacDonald, nor former Attorney General Lord Goldsmith, none of whom have experienced the need for it, even in the immensely complex 2006 investigation into the plot to blow up transatlantic airliners. And, as she tells The Herald today, the Lord Advocate agrees with them. There even appear to be dissenters among the ranks of senior police officers.