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| European Arrest Warrant: Speaker John Bercow attacks handling of vote | European Arrest Warrant: Speaker John Bercow attacks handling of vote |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Commons Speaker John Bercow has criticised the government's handling of the Commons debate over the European Arrest Warrant. | Commons Speaker John Bercow has criticised the government's handling of the Commons debate over the European Arrest Warrant. |
| He said the lack of a specific vote on the UK's use of the warrant had caused irritation among MPs and the public would view it with contempt. | He said the lack of a specific vote on the UK's use of the warrant had caused irritation among MPs and the public would view it with contempt. |
| Home Secretary Theresa May said MPs could still have a say on the warrant by debating other EU justice measures. | Home Secretary Theresa May said MPs could still have a say on the warrant by debating other EU justice measures. |
| Labour then tried to use Parliamentary procedure to postpone the debate. | |
| Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper invoked a rare procedure to ask that the "question be not now put", asking Mrs May to come back with a motion which specifically included the warrant. | |
| 'Sorry saga' | 'Sorry saga' |
| Earlier, the government was criticised by Mr Bercow and Conservative MPs as the Commons prepared to debate the EU justice measures the government wants to opt back into. | |
| 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. | Ministers want to rejoin 35 of the measures, including the European Arrest Warrant, before that deadline. |
| There had been confusion over whether the debate and vote would cover the warrant, which is opposed by some Conservative MPs. | There had been confusion over whether the debate and vote would cover the warrant, which is opposed by some Conservative MPs. |
| But Mr Bercow ruled that it would cover 10 of the other measures. | But Mr Bercow ruled that it would cover 10 of the other measures. |
| "There is not today to be a vote on the specific matter of membership of the European Arrest Warrant," he told MPs. | "There is not today to be a vote on the specific matter of membership of the European Arrest Warrant," he told MPs. |
| The speaker said he himself had expected a vote on the warrant, saying it was a "sorry saga" and that "the House should not be put in that position". | The speaker said he himself had expected a vote on the warrant, saying it was a "sorry saga" and that "the House should not be put in that position". |
| "A commitment is a commitment to be honoured," he said, "rather than trying to slip things through some sort of artifice". | "A commitment is a commitment to be honoured," he said, "rather than trying to slip things through some sort of artifice". |
| He said the public expected "straightforward dealing and they are frankly contemptuous, and I use the word advisedly, of what is not straightforward dealing". | He said the public expected "straightforward dealing and they are frankly contemptuous, and I use the word advisedly, of what is not straightforward dealing". |
| European Arrest Warrants | European Arrest Warrants |
| Q&A: European Arrest Warrant | Q&A: European Arrest Warrant |
| Despite the speaker's comments, Justice Secretary Chris Grayling told the Commons the vote would be on all 35 of the EU crime and justice measures. | Despite the speaker's comments, Justice Secretary Chris Grayling told the Commons the vote would be on all 35 of the EU crime and justice measures. |
| Some Conservative MPs joined in the criticism, with Sir Richard Shepherd saying the government's behaviour had been "sly" while Jacob Rees-Mogg calling it "underhand". | Some Conservative MPs joined in the criticism, with Sir Richard Shepherd saying the government's behaviour had been "sly" while Jacob Rees-Mogg calling it "underhand". |
| Mrs May said the government was not legally required to bring the measures to the House. There was a legal requirement to "transpose" some of them into UK law, she said, but this was usually done through a special committee of MPs. | Mrs May said the government was not legally required to bring the measures to the House. There was a legal requirement to "transpose" some of them into UK law, she said, but this was usually done through a special committee of MPs. |
| She said it was possible for MPs to discuss the warrant, and the eventual vote would determine whether the UK opted into all of the measures. | She said it was possible for MPs to discuss the warrant, and the eventual vote would determine whether the UK opted into all of the measures. |
| "The government is clear that the vote that will take place on the regulations will be the vote that determines whether or not we opt into these measures," she added. | "The government is clear that the vote that will take place on the regulations will be the vote that determines whether or not we opt into these measures," she added. |
| MPs then narrowly voted to continue the debate, by 251 to 242. | |
| 'Safer' | 'Safer' |
| Critics of the warrant say it is overused and a threat to the liberties of Britons and the sovereignty of the UK. | Critics of the warrant say it is overused and a threat to the liberties of Britons and the sovereignty of the UK. |
| But supporters, including the government and law enforcement agencies, say it is a vital tool to protect the UK and bring criminals to justice across EU borders. | But supporters, including the government and law enforcement agencies, say it is a vital tool to protect the UK and bring criminals to justice across EU borders. |
| When the main debate got under way, Mrs May said she understood concerns over the warrant but said she had legislated to make it "better and safer". | When the main debate got under way, Mrs May said she understood concerns over the warrant but said she had legislated to make it "better and safer". |
| Setting out the case to retain it, she told MPs more than 95% of people extradited from the UK were foreign nationals, including suspects wanted for 124 murders, more than 100 rapes, nearly 500 serious assaults and seven terrorism cases. | Setting out the case to retain it, she told MPs more than 95% of people extradited from the UK were foreign nationals, including suspects wanted for 124 murders, more than 100 rapes, nearly 500 serious assaults and seven terrorism cases. |
| Labour called the situation a "shambles". | Labour called the situation a "shambles". |
| Mrs Cooper said she agreed with opting back into the warrant and the other 34 measures, but criticised the government for not holding a specific vote on the warrant. | |
| She said: "It is just baffling that the home secretary is playing games with something that is so important to criminal justice." | She said: "It is just baffling that the home secretary is playing games with something that is so important to criminal justice." |