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EU law and order vote to be held in Commons European Arrest Warrant: Backbenchers to oppose government
(about 5 hours later)
MPs are due to vote on whether the UK should sign up to a range of law and order measures drawn up by the EU. Some Conservative backbenchers are expected to oppose government plans to opt in to the European Arrest Warrant.
Among the policies MPs will debate is whether the UK should keep the powers of the European Arrest Warrant (EAW), which allows police to extradite suspects quickly between EU states. In a Commons debate later, some Tories will argue the scheme is unnecessary and can cause miscarriages of justice.
Its supporters say Britain risks becoming a "safe haven" for criminals without its extradition powers. But supporters of the warrant, which allows police to extradite suspects quickly between EU states, say Britain risks becoming a "safe haven" for criminals without it.
But some Tory MPs say it is unnecessary and can cause miscarriages of justice. MPs will vote on whether the UK should opt in to a range of EU legal measures.
The government opted out of all 133 EU police and criminal justice measures measures in 2013, a decision that will take effect on 1 December.
Ministers want to rejoin 35 of the measures, including the European Arrest Warrant, before that deadline.
European Arrest WarrantsEuropean Arrest Warrants
Q&A: European Arrest WarrantQ&A: European Arrest Warrant
The government opted out of all 133 EU police and criminal justice measures measures in 2013 and wants to rejoin 35, including the EAW. Prime Minister David Cameron, who promised a vote before the Rochester and Strood by-election on 20 November, is facing a rebellion by Conservative MPs unhappy with the European Arrest Warrant although Labour and Lib Dem support means the motion is likely to be passed by the Commons.
It now has until 1 December to decide which ones to continue to adhere to. The BBC's Political Editor Nick Robinson said he expected between 30 and 50 Conservative MPs to rebel, many fewer than the 100 who have expressed concerns about the UK's use of the Warrant in recent weeks.
Prime Minister David Cameron, who has promised a vote before the Rochester and Strood by-election on 20 November, is facing a rebellion by Conservative MPs unhappy with the arrest warrant, although Labour and Lib Dem support means the measure is likely to be passed by the Commons. Home Secretary Theresa May and Conservative whips, he added, had been doing all they could to quell the size of the rebellion by arguing that the measures were about law and order rather than Europe - to the point that the European Arrest Warrant is not even mentioned in the Commons motion.
Critics of the EAW, such as the former shadow home secretary David Davis, say when justice is served quickly, it turns too often into injustice. But he said critics would take some convincing that the issue did not relate to the UK's basic relationship with the European Union.
'Game-playing'
Critics of the warrant, such as the former shadow home secretary David Davis, say when justice is served quickly, it turns too often into injustice.
Mr Davis, a Conservative, cites the arrest of the parents of five-year-old Ashya King, who had taken their son to Spain for cancer treatment, as an example. The couple were later released.Mr Davis, a Conservative, cites the arrest of the parents of five-year-old Ashya King, who had taken their son to Spain for cancer treatment, as an example. The couple were later released.
However, advocates of the EAW point to the successful arrest of Briton Jeremy Forrest in France - a teacher who was subsequently jailed for abducting a schoolgirl he ran away with. But advocates of the European Arrest Warrant point to the successful arrest of Briton Jeremy Forrest in France - a teacher who was subsequently jailed for abducting a schoolgirl he ran away with.
Home Secretary Theresa May says she will argue "loudly and clearly" in favour of rejoining the EAW in the Commons debate. For Labour, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper has accused Mr Cameron of "running scared" of a rebellion by not specifically naming the European Arrest Warrant in the motion to be voted on.
She has also said a whole day of Parliament had been set aside for the debate, instead of the usual 90 minutes.
Labour's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper has accused Mr Cameron of "running scared" of a rebellion by not including the EAW in the package to be voted on.
She said: "We need the European Arrest Warrant and we should vote for it. All this tricky game playing means it's no wonder people don't trust David Cameron on Europe."She said: "We need the European Arrest Warrant and we should vote for it. All this tricky game playing means it's no wonder people don't trust David Cameron on Europe."
'Cross-border crime'
But in a letter to Ms Cooper, Mrs May wrote: "I shall be making very clear in the House on Monday - and am happy to do so now - that Monday's vote is a vote on the entire package of 35 measures.But in a letter to Ms Cooper, Mrs May wrote: "I shall be making very clear in the House on Monday - and am happy to do so now - that Monday's vote is a vote on the entire package of 35 measures.
"The package includes the arrest warrant and other tools which are vitally important to our police and law enforcement agencies."The package includes the arrest warrant and other tools which are vitally important to our police and law enforcement agencies.
"It helps us to tackle cross-border crimes, deport foreign criminals, track down those who seek to evade the law, and bring them to justice.""It helps us to tackle cross-border crimes, deport foreign criminals, track down those who seek to evade the law, and bring them to justice."
Meanwhile, the chairmen of three influential Parliamentary committees accused the government of a "cavalier approach" to the forthcoming debate. Speaking to the BBC, Mrs May said changes earlier this year had already dealt with the major concerns of critics - such as the proportionality of extradition requests and whether UK suspects were being sent abroad before cases were ready to proceed.
The European scrutiny, justice, and home affairs committees said Monday's vote had "no direct relevance" to the EAW and would not allow MPs to make any changes. She added: "If we had a situation where we didn't have an extradition arrangement with other countries inside the European Union and you were a criminal and committed an offence in another country inside the European Union, where do you think you might make for if you were hoping to evade justice?"
The committees have previously called for an individual motion on each of the 35 measures, rather than one vote on the whole package. But the chairmen of three influential Parliamentary committees accused the government of a "cavalier approach" to the forthcoming debate.
The European scrutiny, justice, and home affairs committees criticised the government's decision to present the 35 measures as one package, saying: "The form of debate and vote proposed by the government on Monday falls far short of the Committees' expectations."