The release on bail of Abu Qatada was received with dismay on both sides of the House of Commons. Theresa May assured her colleagues that the government was doing everything it could to deport the man nicknamed al-Qaida's main man in Europe. But since he hasn't been charged in the UK and with his deportation to Jordan obstructed by the courts on human rights grounds, it seems - for now anyway - Abu Qatada is here to stay.

In the studio to discuss the implications of this: the Observer's Nick Cohen, author of a new tome on free speech You Can't Read This Book; Dr Giles Fraser, former canon chancellor at St Paul's Cathedral; and Guardian columnist Hadley Freeman. We also hear from the Guardian's security services expert Richard Norton-Taylor who believes that MI5 may want to avoid putting Abu Qatada on trial to save their embarrassment.

Also on the menu this week: as conservative Roman Catholic candidate Rick Santorum surges in the polls against Mitt Romney, a Mormon, we explore the role of religion in the race for the Republican nomination. Santorum is on record voicing what many will view as repellent opinions on matters such as abortion, homosexuality and contraception - but one recent poll showed him in the lead nationally.

Meanwhile back in the UK, Sayeeda Warsi has been calling for a better "seat at the table" for faith in politics. She's railed against the influence of "aggressive secularism" but with two of the three main party leaders declared atheists, she may find her arguments falling on deaf ears at Westminster.

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