Osama Saeed, SNP Westminster candidate for Glasgow Central, has condemned current MP Mohammed Sarwar for voting in favour of PM Gordon Brown's controversial proposal to extend pre-charge detention for terror suspects to 42 days, which passed this week by a slim margin.

"Sarwar told the world a couple of months ago that he’d learned his lesson and he wouldn’t be voting for dismantling our liberties again. Now he has uturned on his uturn.

"He said that Muslims would be angry about 42 days and on that he was right. When he previously voted for control orders, he was heckled in the mosque.
 

"But this isn’t just about Muslims. All citizens of this country are affected by the gross imbalance that now exists between liberty and measures in the various Anti-Terrorism Acts this government has introduced.

"After the 42 days vote Sarwar said he was ‘a happy man’. This was because the Home Secretary offered payments to anyone held for 42 days but was not later charged. It’s the approach of a businessman, not of principled political leadership.

"It was the same with Iraq when he said he was against the war but voted against an inquiry. It was the same with post office closures, which he said he was against, but was too lazy or too scared to turn up and register dissent in Parliament when it mattered."

Note:

Sarwar told the Scotland on Sunday 30 March 2008:

"Last time I voted out of loyalty with the Government.

"But since then there has not been a single case where prosecutors or the police have asked for an extension beyond 28 days. Only six people have been held for 28 days – three of whom were released without charge. The Government should think twice about doing this."

Asked about the possible impact on the Muslim community, he replied: "They will be upset. Most people are very reasonable but they just do not see a need for this legislation."