British PM Blair signals terror law compromise

British Prime Minister Tony Blair may have to back down over plans for new laws allowing police to hold terror suspects for up to 90 days without charge, a spokesman for Blair's Downing Street office said on Sunday.

"The Prime Minister acknowledges there will have to be negotiations and/or compromise but as far as he is concerned 90 days continues to be right," said the spokeswoman who would not be identified.

Blair told the Sunday Telegraph it would be a "defeat" for British security if plans to detain suspects for up to 90 days without trial was blocked.

However, in an interview to be broadcast on Sunday, former Conservative Prime Minister John Major attacked the government's controversial terror proposals and said the detention of terror suspects without charge for 90 days risked breaching their civil liberties.

In the Commons last week, Home Secretary Charles Clarke was forced to promise fresh talks after it became clear the government was facing certain defeat on the measure with Labor rebels in the Commons reducing the government's majority to one in a protest over the anti-terror bill.

The home secretary is due to meet his Tory and Liberal Democrat counterparts, David Davis and Mark Oaten, on Monday following informal telephone discussion on the weekend.

British police can currently hold terror suspects for 14 days under the present legislation.

The bill creates several new offenses, including encouraging or glorifying terrorism, preparing terrorist acts and attending terrorist camps.

Source: Xinhua