May Should Publish Discussions with EU States on Arrest Warrants

The SNP has written to Theresa May asking her to publish what discussions she has had with other EU member states on the consequences of dealing with crime if the UK Government opts out of European arrest warrants.

Justice Committee member Colin Keir has written to the Home Secretary after she threatened to end the EU-wide extraditions that have already repatriated scores of wanted men and women.

Police have voiced how deeply unhappy they are with the proposal and have been backed by Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, who said Ms May was "jeopardising the administration of justice in Scotland" in response to a parliamentary question from Mr Keir.

The Edinburgh Western MSP said:

"Theresa May must tell us what discussions she has had with other EU countries on the consequences of dealing with crime if the UK Government opts out of European arrest warrants.

"If Ms May wants to revert back to the old conventions she must explain what talks she has had on how we will deal with arrests if pulled out of the EAW.

"She must tell us if there will be guarantees in place to ensure criminals are brought to task and if other EU countries agree.

"The EWA system is not perfect and needs reformed so that only the most serious criminal cases are covered by the legislation. Instead of pulling out of Europe's only tool to fight cross-border crime they should be working with our neighbours to improve it.

"There is a real danger that by pulling out Theresa May will create a safe-haven for European criminals. There will be no speedy tool to extradite these criminals back to their home country to face justice.

"Why does Theresa May want to reinvent the wheel and establish bi-lateral agreements with individual member states when an effective system already exists?

"This move, as police have expressed, will have serious implications for law enforcement in Scotland and make it more difficult for to extradite criminals to Scotland. The fact is police co-operation across Europe cuts crime.

"Scotland’s interests are being actively damaged by the simmering Euro-scepticism in Westminster and yet again we are reminded of why Scotland needs its own voice in Europe as an independent country."

Holyrood LibDem Failure to Back Colleague's Rebellion Shows Support for Cuts Agenda

The failure of Holyrood’s remaining handful of LibDem MSPs to back their Edinburgh West MP’s criticism of Coalition housing benefit cuts is the clearest demonstration possible of their full-throated support for the Tories’ disastrous cuts.

Last month, LibDem MP Mike Crockart hit out at planned changes to benefit payments for people classified as under-occupying property, describing the moves as “unfair”.

A motion congratulating Mr Crockart on his stance and stating the parliament’s opposition to the UK Government’s ill-considered plans was lodged in the Scottish Parliament, but has to date not attracted the support of a single LibDem MSP.

That failure to support their own party colleague’s stance can only be taken as a clear signal of their support for the Tory-led coalition’s plans to unfairly penalise thousands of people across Scotland.

Commenting, SNP MSP Colin Keir said:

“The complete failure of Holyrood’s LibDems to back their colleague can only mean that they fully support the UK Government’s disastrous cuts agenda.

“The Tory-led coalition has targeted almost every group of vulnerable people imaginable, and the fulsome support of Holyrood’s LibDems for these cuts will shock many of the people who voted for them.

“With backing for policies as utterly unfair as the ones the UK Government is pursuing, it is no wonder that support for the LibDems in Scotland has collapsed.

“Mike Crockart is entirely right to brand the plans of the Tory-led coalition he continues to prop up as unfair. It is just a shame that his colleagues in Holyrood lack the backbone to even criticise the UK Government, let alone take action.

“The question they have to answer is why do they believe it is better for these critical decisions to be made by people who are predominantly not elected in Scotland, instead of by a Scottish Parliament 100% elected by people in Scotland?”