Gordon Brown has insisted he will press on with plans to increase the detention without trial limit for terror suspects to 42 days in the face of widespread opposition.

Gordon Brown has insisted he will press on with plans to increase the detention without trial limit for terror suspects to 42 days in the face of widespread opposition.

The Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, will attend a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party tonight to confront MPs who are threatening to inflict a humiliating defeat on the Government when the proposals come before the Commons later this month.

As many as 50 backbenchers are thought to be preparing to rebel, and ministers have suggested that concessions will be offered which will prove sufficient to secure their support.

But in a newspaper article, the Prime Minister made clear that there would be no concession on the main tenants of the Bill, saying: “I will stick to the principles I have set out and do the right thing.”

His words follow the successful campaign by some Labour MPs to force minister a change of policy over the scrapping of the 10p tax rate, and suggest that the Prime Minister is keen to avoid being seen as at the mercy of his backbenchers.

The Council of Europe, a human rights watchdog, has written a letter warning that the 42 day limit would be “excessive,” and put Britain “way out of line” with the rest of Europe.