By Ben Russell, home affairs correspondent Plans to hold terror suspects for up to 42 days without charge were dramatically dropped last night after Labour faced one of its biggest defeats in the Lords since 1997. Ministers moved to pull the hugely controversial proposal out of the Counter-Terrorism Bill after peers inflicted a crushing defeat on the Government, voting by 309 to 118 – a majority of 191 – to reject any attempt to increase the current 28-day limiton detention. Instead, emergency legislation to bring the 42-day limit into force will lie on file, to be rushed through Parliament in case of a security crisis. The Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, made an emergency statement on the Bill after the Lords voted overwhelmingly to reject the proposed 42-day limit, the biggest defeat for Labour in the Lords since the...
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