Hail David Davis

This is a day to salute David Davis.

His action in resigning to fight a by-election on the single issue of civil rights may be quixotic but it is a magnificent gesture.

His leader - a spinner and trimmer - may be doubtful, and jobsworths like Gillian Merron may be totally mystified, but all who see politics as more than an argument between two sets of potential managers will applaud him.

Politics is about principle.

There are four things I constantly hear in the arguments about the chipping away of our freedoms:

One is the strange idea that locking potentially innocent people up for six weeks will prevent terrorism. How? How would it have prevented the London bombings? Yet, I only have to ask this question to be accused of being 'soft on terrorism'.

And yet I'm not soft at all, neither on terrorism nor on any sort of crime. I believe in capital punishment, more prisons and longer sentences. But only after due process of law, speedy trials and the presumption of innocence.

Second is the theory that 'terrorism' is different in kind from other murders. Is it?

For example, suppose one man decides to blow up his neigbour's house over some petty dispute. Another man does the same thing because he thinks it will help bring about the withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan. Why should the (suspected) motive of each man be a factor in how long he can be held without charge?

Third, there is this frequent declaration that 'terror' investigations need longer to complete before charges are brought. But does this not apply to all conspiracies, to fraud cases for example.

Fourth - and this applies to all the infringements of our liberty, CCTV, ID cards, the DNA database, stop and search, on-the-spot fines, etc - 'If you've nothing to hide, you've nothing to fear.'

On the contrary, it is we the innocent who have most to fear from the presumption of our guilt.

One last thing, on this day of fighting for political principle. Later on we'll hear the result of Ireland's referendum on the EU constitution. With any luck, I'll be drinking a pint of Guiness in honour of that country's vote against.