Opinion is significantly split. Reaction by Tory colleagues and the Right-wing media is mostly critical, while individual voters seem more supportive.

In his article, (Yorkshire Post, June 13) Tom Richmond asserts that "Davis's misguided actions have handed a political lifeline and a propaganda coup to Gordon Brown". Though not nonsense, could this just be a self-absorbed Conservative view?

In fact, in Haltemprice and Howden, the Prime Minister will be between a rock and a very hard place.

If a Labour candidate stands, he or she could be humiliated. If none stands, every day Gordon Brown will be reminded of the deals he made to ensure the Commons passage of the Counter-Terrorism Bill, a measure he now dares not defend.

Then, there is the matter of the ghastly "political positioning", undertaken by both major parties in recent years. A Tory march to the left on social issues (hug a hoodie!) has been matched by a Labour hard-line posture on crime
and terror.

Presumably, the perpetrators believe these to be clever tactics. But to the ordinary voter, being offered ever fewer choices, they are very frustrating. Surely, they are a contributing factor to the low voter turnout problem.

By taking this action, Mr Davis is not only opposing the Government on the issue of civil liberties, he is also implicitly challenging all those politicians who seem to stand for nothing in particular.

I believe that this is why he will be well supported in the wider electorate.

Muddled judgment

From: Howard Knight, Lyons Street, Sheffield.

I'M staggered. For the first time in years, I've agreed with Bernard Dineen (Yorkshire Post, June 16). I share his critique of David Davis's "muddleheadedness" over the 42 days' issue.

Like Bernard Dineen, I have been influenced by listening carefully to the advice of Lord Carlile QC – a Liberal Democrat peer with a long track record of defending human rights and, currently, the independent reviewer of terrorist legislation – who has had unprecedented access to all the evidence and processes in terrorist investigations and prosecutions.

During the passage of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill last month, various Conservative MPs were at pains to emphasise the deleterious outcomes for the development, behaviour and judgment of children raised in the absence of a father. Do you think they had David Davis specifically in mind?

Good for democracy

From: John Dawson, Overdale Grange, Skipton.

HOW refreshing the last few days have been for democracy. First, David Davis is prepared to give up his career for a point of principle, a rare political action.

He is to be congratulated for making a stand on the ever-growing erosion of our freedoms by this Government.

Similarly, the Irish people have made a stand on the continuing erosion of the independence of nations within Europe by the European Union fanatics. Whenever the people of Europe have been given the opportunity, they have voted against the EU bandwagon.

However, what is sad in both cases is that the arrogant "we know best" politicians in our Government and in Europe. It looks as if they will act in their usual way and ignore our freedoms and the will of the people.

Dilemma for Brown

From: Nick Martinek, Briarlyn Road, Huddersfield.

WHEN the chattering classes have finished analysing David Davis's character, perhaps they might stand back a bit and look at the political and moral position Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, is in.

Mr Brown has just put his position as PM and Labour's leader on the line by pushing through a law sanctioning 42 days imprisonment without trial or charge. The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats were opposed, as were 36 Labour MPs. Probably another 30 to 40 Labour MPs are unhappy with the 42 day policy.

Mr Brown has a serious political dilemma. If he fields a Labour candidate for the by-election, he will have to find one who really believes in all the authoritarian laws Labour has made recently. Laws which we were assured would be used only for serious crimes and terrorism but are increasingly being used to spy on, and harass, ordinary citizens.

And as for Labour not standing, it would show Mr Brown to be morally bankrupt. Not defending his own flagship policy at a real election? Unbelievable! It means he cannot even back his own policy.

It is Mr Brown's character that is in the spotlight now.

A precious freedom

From: John Holland, Lindeth Road, Silverdale, Carnforth.

IT is not an argument for extending the period of detention without charge that the public appear to favour it.

From the correspondence I have read, the naive opinion seems to be that there is no problem in "them" being locked up, presumably because "they" are seen as Islamic extremists, but remember the RIPA legislation which was supposedly anti-terrorist
and is now used by local councils to spy on our bins and our homes.

Perhaps we should remember the thoughts of Pastor Niemoller; that they came first for the communists and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a communist and so through the groups, Jews, Catholics, trade unionists etc and when they came for me there was no one left to speak up. Habeas Corpus is too precious to leave to control freaks like Gordon Brown.

Stunt that backfired

From: Terry Palmer, South Lea Avenue, Hoyland, Barnsley.

ANOTHER case of "I know best and sod the rest"? This from ex-Tory frontbencher David Davis, piqued because he personally lost out on the 42 day Counter Terrorism Bill.

No matter that a large majority of the country's electorate agrees with this Bill he decides to ignore our wishes and embarks on a very silly publicity stunt which, by the way, has already backfired whether or not the voters in the Haltemprice and Howden constituency return him to Parliament or not.

We are better off without such people who are obviously only interested in their own views and are not prepared to further the wishes of the electorate in Parliament. As Captain Mainwaring would say: "You stupid boy."

Voices we don't need

From: Brian Sheridan, Redmires Road, Sheffield.

MARTIN Crowson complains that former Shadow Home Secretary David Davis is not listening to the man in the pub, the man on the Clapham bus or white van man (Yorkshire Post, June 14).

Well, David Davis would not be my choice of leader but I have no desire to inhabit a country governed by the man in the pub, the man on
the Clapham bus, white van man or the London cabbie for that matter, thank you very much.

Fear over true debate

From: Antony Shacklady, Yeadon.

THE childish and churlish sneering of the Labour Party regarding David Davis's actions this week do not for a moment fool me or any of the people of Yorkshire.

Calling the forthcoming by-election a "farce" shows the true fear of this Government; to engage in a real debate about civil liberties in this country. Ironically this comes from the party that prides itself, as Gordon Brown often reminds us, on being the party of substance.

Mr Davis's discretionary by-election offers the opportunity for the rights and wrongs of the surveillance state to be argued before the electorate.

If, as seems likely, Labour don't show up, they forfeit the match, the by-election, the argument and the next General Election.

Consequence of Iraq war

From: Tim Hunter, Farfield Avenue, Knaresborough.

DAVID Davis's stance on 42-day detention is hypocritical. He supported
the Iraq war, and now he's wondering why we need draconian measures to cope with the inevitable security problems resulting from such ill-considered action.

Churchill and liberty

From: John Riseley, Harcourt Drive, Harrogate.

DAVID Davis is making a stand for Britain's tradition of liberty. I wonder where in that tradition he places Churchill's instruction of 1940 to "collar the lot!", ordering the indefinite internment of Italian civilians.