John Major slams bid to hold terror suspects for 42 days

SIR John Major, the former Prime Minister, said plans to hold terrorism suspects without charge for 42 days will boost terrorist recruitment.

He also said the Labour government's response to terrorism had eroded civil liberties and that the invasion of Iraq had damaged Britain's reputation overseas.

His comments are a further blow to the Government's efforts to win support for the 42-day increase ahead of a crucial vote in the Commons next week.

The criticism comes after the joint committee on human rights said it remained opposed to the extension, despite a series of concessions outlined by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith in a last-ditch bid to head off a highly-damaging Labour backbench revolt.

In one of his fiercest attacks on Labour since he was defeated in the general election in 1997, Sir John described the case for detaining terrorism suspects for 42 days without charge as bogus and little more than scaremongering.