Labor rebels joined forces with opposition parties to vote against a proposed police power to detain terror suspects without charge for up to 90 days. The government was defeated by 322 votes to 291, its first defeat since taking office in 1997.

Members of Parliament then voted by 323 to 290 to reduce the proposed detention period to 28 days.

The defeat will be seen as a damaging blow to Blair's authority. While he will not be forced to resign over the issue, it will lead to increased speculation that he no longer commands the authority to lead effectively, and could ultimately lead to an early departure.

During a raucous parliamentary session earlier, Blair had appealed to MPs to have "some sense of responsibility" and do what was right to protect the nation's security.

He stressed the police had requested the 90 day detention power because of the complex and international nature of modern terrorism. It was the "duty" of every lawmaker to listen, he said.

"We are living in a country that faces a real and serious threat of terrorism, terrorism that wants to destroy our way of life, terrorism that wants to inflict casualties without limit."

Two terrorist plots had been foiled since the London bombings on July 7, he claimed.

Modern terrorists wanted to "kill without limit," he said; it was therefore often necessary for the police to arrest suspects earlier on in the conspiracy than usual.

But Conservative Party Leader Michael Howard challenged Blair to cite one case where it had taken the police 90 days to gather sufficient evidence to charge a suspect, a challenge to which Blair did not respond.

He said many lawmakers agreed there was a need for some increase from the present maximum detention period of 14 days, but had not seen the evidence for such a lengthy extension.

Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said the measure would alienate ethnic minorities and be counterproductive and ineffective. "Far from being tough on terror it may turn out to be a gift for the terrorists."

Liberal Democrat Leader Charles Kennedy said that not only should the opinions of the police be taken into account, but also those of senior figures in the judiciary, many of whom had come out in strong opposition to the plans.

Former law lords Lord Steyne and Lord Lloyd of Berwick had described the measure as "exorbitant, unnecessary and intolerable," he noted.

The defeat was welcomed by civil liberties and legal groups, who had fiercely opposed the proposals.

Shami Chakrabarti, director of the human rights group Liberty said: "This courageous vote proves that we are not in China yet. Despite a concerted attempt at party tribalism and an excessively political campaign by certain senior police officers, the House of Commons has helped to restore faith in politics this evening."

The government's level of panic over the vote was signaled earlier on Wednesday when Blair took the unusual decision to summon two cabinet ministers back from overseas visits to vote.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown were ordered to return from high profile trips to Russia and Israel respectively.

Brown had landed in Tel Aviv only moments before he was summoned back to London. Speaking to media on his departure, he rejected suggestions that Blair's authority was seeping away.

Blair has consistently said he will serve a full third term and stand down shortly before the next election in 2009. However, mounting calls for his departure from within his own party have substantially weakened his position.

In recent weeks, his authority has been cast into further doubt by ministerial disputes over a planned smoking ban, and criticism by many Labor MPs of his proposals for educational reform.

Conservative Leader Michael Howard predicted the beginning of the end of the Blair era after last week's resignation of a key ally, David Blunkett, from the cabinet for the second time in a year. The seepage of Blair's authority had turned into a "hemorrhage," he said.

His failure to get the 90 day detention proposal through will no doubt prompt further claims that he is now a "lame duck" prime minister.

Lib Dem Leader Charles Kennedy said the defeat was very bad news for Blair.

"It was the prime minister who chose to make this issue into one of confidence -- and it's a bad day for his authority.

"This is now a chastened prime minister."

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