My unlikely political hero

Up to now, I'm pleased to say that my political heroes have mainly come from the left of the spectrum. Tony Benn (who I was very pleased to see on good form at the Compass conference yesterday), John McDonnell, Vince Cable, maybe even Ed Miliband.

But now there is a new kid on the block: David Davis. The real 'Dave'. The Dave with guts and principle.

Dave D's decision to resign and fight a by-election over the '42 days' anti-civil-liberties legislation (I ain't gonna call it the 'anti-terror' legislation as that's playing into the govt's hands; there's not the slightest evidence this will actually help prevent terrorist attacks) is one of the most courageous political decisions I have seen in a long time. Because:

• the measure is popular with the public (who are largely brainwashed bovines, sadly);
• his opponent might be ex-Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie who will pull in a lot of the dickhead vote (and that could be decisive, seeing as not many people tend to vote in by-elections anyway.)

I should be clear at this point that most of what David Davis stands for is absolute arse and in normal circumstances I would sooner staple my own nose than support him. But on this issue at this time it's essential that one of the only people with the balls to say "no" to the inexorable drive towards a police state and the destruction of our basic freedoms gets support from wherever on the political spectrum he can find it. So go, Dave.