We didn't expect to win," one senior Tory admitted. "But they took their eye off the ball, that is the arrogance of power." David Davis called it " a moment of defeat for Blair, but a victory for free speech." "We messed up," one government whip admitted
Government suffers chaotic double defeat over bill to combat religious hatred
· Blair's missing vote could have been decisive
· Ministers forced to accept Lords amendments
The government last night suffered a chaotic defeat over its bill to combat religious hatred when a lethal mixture of Labour rebels, abstentions and absentees from Westminster delivered an unexpected triumph to the combined Opposition in both Lords and Commons.
Though the racial and religious hatred bill came from Charles Clarke's Home Office team, and some MPs predicted that chief whip, Hilary Armstrong will today offer her resignation, Tony Blair contributed personally to the defeat by missing the night's second key vote - which was lost by just one vote, his own.
As the Home Secretary immediately confirmed to gleeful MPs in the Commons the two defeats - the first by 288 to 278 votes - mean that the bill will now go for royal assent in the version amended substantially by the Lords last autumn.
Ministers had made concessions to reassure religious critics - Christian and Muslim, as well as atheists and civil libertarians, who claimed the bill was unnecessary and would threaten basic freedom of speech. Several hundred demonstrators had protested outside parliament for much of the day.
Twenty seven Labour MPs joined Tory, Lib Dem and nationalist critics of the bill and up to 24 did not vote - many because they were working to defend Labour's majority in the Dunfermline and West Fife byelection on February 9.
It was only the second Commons defeat for Mr Blair since 1997, just two months after his reduced 2005 election majority of 64 was overturned in the battle over 90 day detention for terror suspects. But it is certain to embolden critics - peers and MPs - who are determined to defeat the ID cards bill and to modify the secondary school reforms before a bill is published next month.
David Cameron's reviving Conservatives were only on a two-line whip, in contrast to Labour and the Lib Dems, whose three-liner was intended to bring all MPs in to vote. But Labour whips miscalculated and did not think they had to bring their byelection team home, let alone keep the prime minister at Westminster.
"We didn't expect to win," one senior Tory admitted. "But they took their eye off the ball, that is the arrogance of power." David Davis called it " a moment of defeat for Blair, but a victory for free speech." "We messed up," one government whip admi
Government suffers chaotic double defeat over bill to combat religious hatred
· Blair's missing vote could have been decisive
· Ministers forced to accept Lords amendments
The government last night suffered a chaotic defeat over its bill to combat religious hatred when a lethal mixture of Labour rebels, abstentions and absentees from Westminster delivered an unexpected triumph to the combined Opposition in both Lords and Commons.
Though the racial and religious hatred bill came from Charles Clarke's Home Office team, and some MPs predicted that chief whip, Hilary Armstrong will today offer her resignation, Tony Blair contributed personally to the defeat by missing the night's second key vote - which was lost by just one vote, his own.
As the Home Secretary immediately confirmed to gleeful MPs in the Commons the two defeats - the first by 288 to 278 votes - mean that the bill will now go for royal assent in the version amended substantially by the Lords last autumn.
Ministers had made concessions to reassure religious critics - Christian and Muslim, as well as atheists and civil libertarians, who claimed the bill was unnecessary and would threaten basic freedom of speech. Several hundred demonstrators had protested outside parliament for much of the day.
Twenty seven Labour MPs joined Tory, Lib Dem and nationalist critics of the bill and up to 24 did not vote - many because they were working to defend Labour's majority in the Dunfermline and West Fife byelection on February 9.
It was only the second Commons defeat for Mr Blair since 1997, just two months after his reduced 2005 election majority of 64 was overturned in the battle over 90 day detention for terror suspects. But it is certain to embolden critics - peers and MPs - who are determined to defeat the ID cards bill and to modify the secondary school reforms before a bill is published next month.
David Cameron's reviving Conservatives were only on a two-line whip, in contrast to Labour and the Lib Dems, whose three-liner was intended to bring all MPs in to vote. But Labour whips miscalculated and did not think they had to bring their byelection team home, let alone keep the prime minister at Westminster.
"We didn't expect to win," one senior Tory admitted. "But they took their eye off the ball, that is the arrogance of power." David Davis called it " a moment of defeat for Blair, but a victory for free speech." "We messed up," one government whip admi
Comment