Breaking News: Is David Davis Really Resigning as MP?

Well I never! As part of a discussion about the honesty of the Conservatives at large on detention Evan Price posted a comment on this post saying:

Given the reports that David Davis would have resigned from the front bench if he had been whipped to vote for 42 days ... do you still think that he's not in favour of liberty?

To which I replied this morning:

I personally think that that report is about as meaningful as one saying Brown would resign if whipped (by himself) to vote against 42 days. It was never going to happen.

Now in an absolutely stunning development it seems David Davis is going to resign FROM PARLIAMENT to trigger a by-election around the issue of 42 Days detention. Absolutely extraordinary stuff. A statement is expected in the housein the Commons lobby in around 20 minutes (13:00).

UPDATE 12:50: Lots of speculation about David and Dave having a major fall out over the detention vote. Cameron wanted to triangulate it seems. Back to the old spin vs substance ruck of 30 months ago. Conservative sources are saying "weird", "personal", "won't be backed fully by party money" etc

12:54: Iain Dale gets with the programme.

12:55: This is almost looking like a preface to a leadership challenge to me.

13:01: Nick Robinson briefing live from outside the Palace of Westminster, or is he in the lobby? no outdoors. Saying Cameron is not up for this.

13:02: Davis is talking. Speaker has stopped him doing it in house? Noble Endeavour is it seems the translation of part of his constituency name. Anniversary of Magna Carta this Sunday. Blah de blah.

13:05: Very good stuff actually. DD really is acting as a champion for liberty in a quite extraordinary and unexpected way.

13:06: "It is incumbent on me to take a stand" ... "I will fight it against the slow strangulation of fundamental freedoms by this government."

13:07: If returned the message he says will be: "The monstrosity of the law we passed yesterday will not stand".

13:08: David Davis appears to be acting without the encouragement or consent of Dave Cameron. DC fuming is between the lines.

13:09: Robinson says Nick Clegg DOES agree and may stand down his party's candidate in some way. They met phoned on this yesterday it seems.