Blair faces bruising over anti-terror laws

British legislators urged Tony Blair yesterday to dilute anti-terrorism proposals on the eve of a vote that will test the prime minister's authority over his Labour Party weeks ahead of an expected May election.

Critics say plans to allow ministers to put suspects under house arrest without trial violate the basic freedoms of Britain's judicial system. They want judges, not politicians, to rule first on whether to deprive suspects of their liberty.

Some 30 Labour members opposed the bill last week and more abstained, halving Mr Blair's large majority in parliament's lower house. That revolt may be repeated today, embarrassing Mr Blair, unless the government agrees to greater judicial scrutiny.

But fierce opposition in the unelected upper chamber, the House of Lords, where Labour lacks a majority, could also derail the bill in coming days, preventing it from becoming law before the expected election.

Despite that, Mr Blair shows little sign of giving judges the first say on house arrest orders. That power must remain with the government to protect Britain from a "serious security threat", he says.

"I don't think there is anybody alive in the world today who believes that the bill... will pass through all its stages in parliament in its current fashion. They've got to change," said Lord Strathclyde, leader of the opposition Conservative Party in the Lords.

"At the moment (the bill) is fundamentally flawed. It needs substantial revision, major changes," he told ITV Television.

The debacle has pushed national security up Britain's pre-election agenda, prompting parallels with the US where President George W. Bush's tough talk on terrorism last year helped him win a second term.

Ministers have raised the spectre of a similar strike to the 2004 Madrid bombings on the eve of Spain's elections.

By opposing the so-called "control orders" - which also include electronic tagging and surveillance - the Conservatives run the risk of being labelled soft on terrorism - a charge levelled at Mr Bush's Democratic contender John Kerry. Opinion polls put Mr Blair on track to win a third term, although some recent surveys have suggested Labour has lost ground to the Conservatives in past weeks.

The Lords cannot reject legislation outright but they can delay it, which in this case would essentially scupper the bill before the expected election.