Monday, August 30, 2010

I wouldn't go abroad if I were you

Theresa May: Home Secretary and an evil, loathsome woman.

Having woken up to the existence of the European Arrest Warrant, Iain Dale shows a touching faith in Our New Coalition Overlords™ in his confident assertion that they will do something about the disgusting injustices visited on British citizens under this legislation.
And if Theresa May is the woman I think she is, she will pick up the phone to her Greek counterpart tomorrow morning and ask him to put right this apparent massive injustice.

Go on Theresa. You know you want to.

If Theresa May is the woman that I think she is, she will sit on her fat arse and do fuck all. Theresa May couldn't give two fucks about the rights of British citizens, and nor do the rest of the Coalition: as many of us have said for years, the only thing that the Tories and their massively-foreheaded twat of a leader care about is power. And not power to be wielded on behalf of the citizens who they are supposed to serve: no, it's power for themselves.

So, much as I wish it were otherwise, I am damn sure that Theresa May will do fuck all... Oh, wait... I'm wrong.
Theresa May has recently extended the powers of the EAW by signing up to the European Investigation Order. I hope she understood what she was doing.

Yes, Iain: she knew precisely what she was doing—following the Coalition's well-publicised plan of falling into line under the EU jackboot. Did you ever—seriously—think that they were going to do anything else?

We all saw which way the wind was blowing when Cameron refused to hold a referendum on the EU Constitution Lisbon Treaty. Oh, yes: and we also knew that the Tories would be more than happy to knuckle down because Call Me Dave is a spineless, ball-less sack of shit.

Iain has the good grace to apologise for his extreme lateness to this particular party...
I feel rather guilty that this is the first time it has come across my radar, but I suspect I am not alone.

That's as may be, Iain, but I can tell you that these arseholes who have inveigled themselves into government knew all about it. After all, as Trixy highlighted in June 2008, some of the cunts voted for it. [Emphasis—of well-known figures in the British politics—mine.] (It's also worth noting that Trixy first highlighted Andrew Symeou's case in July 2008.)
Whilst we are debating the decision of David Davis and Magna Carta (which some of us are) Some home truths:

European Arrest Warrant.
The European Arrest Warrant (EAW, or more rarely, EUAW) is an arrest warrant to allow the arrest of criminal suspects and their transfer for trial or detention which is valid throughout the states of the European Union (EU). The EAW is an attempt to increase the speed of extradition throughout EU countries, as well as change the mechanism from having a "political and administrative phase" into a system run by the judiciary.

Rapporteur: Graham Watson, Liberal Democrat MEP

In favour:

[Lib Dems]
Nick Clegg, Chris Davies, Andrew Duff, Chris Huhne, Sarah Ludford, Liz Lynne, Bill Newton-Dunn, Nicholson of Winterbourne, Graham Watson

Sir Robert Atkins, Chris Beazley, John Bowis, Philip Bradbourn, Philip Bushill-Matthews, Martin Callanan, Giles Chichester, Den Dover, James Elles, Jonathan Evans, Robert Goodwill, Dan Hannan, Malcolm Harbour, Chris Heaton-Harris, Roger Helmer, Caroline Jackson, Timothy Kirkhope, Edward McMillan Scott, Neil Parish, John Purvis, Robert Sturdy, David Sumberg, Charles Tannock, Theresa Villiers.

Gordan Adams, Michael Cashman, Richard Corbett, Robert Evans, Glyn Ford, Neena Gill, Mary Honeyball, Richard Howitt, Stephen Hughes, Glenys Kinnock, Eryl McNally, David Martin, Ben Miller, Simon Murphy, Mel Read, Catherine Stihler, Gary Titley, Mark Watts, Philip Whitehead

[Respectively Plaid Cymru, SNP and Green]
Jill Evans, Ian Hudghton, Jean Lambert


Nigel Farage, Jeffrey Titford

You might have recognised some names up there, most notably Clegg and Huhne—noble fighters for civil liberties, eh? All of the people who voted in favour of the European Arrest Warrant are traitors to the British people, enemies of liberty and colossal shitbags who should be put in a gibbet and eaten by crows.

Anyway, to explain why the European Arrest Warrant is so very bad—and to highlight the hypocrisy of our lords 'n' masters—Timmy's comment at Iain's is concise and coherent so I've replicated it in full.
Yes Iain, I think you're being a little off the ball here in stating that Gilligan's the first to have anything to do with this case.

Gerard Batten (as one of Symeou's MEPs) has been following this case for years. Including turning up at each of the various court hearings about extradition so as to support the family and be there for any press. There are multiple instances of TV and radio reports being done on it, as well as several Press Association pieces.

He was, you might want to note, the only politician who did that, supported the Symeou family, tried to bring attention to this injustice.

I know because I was the UKIP press officer while all this was going on.

We can actually take it further as well. The "rapporteur" for this law in the European Parliament was Watson, the european head of the Lib Dems. That of course means that both Nick Clegg and Chris Huhne voted for it when they were MEPs.

Then, another case, the Toben case (vile man with vile views, but the Germans tried to get him extradited for something that isn't actually a crime in this country) meant that the EAW was going to violate the traditional "double criminality" required for extradition. It must be a crime here as well as a crime there for extradition to be lawful.

The EAW abolishes double criminality. So, Toben is arrested and held, who pops up in the papers? Chris Huhne, telling us all that this wasn't what the EAW was all about. So, fool, why did you vote for it then?

This really is something that UKIP have been banging on about for years. UKIP were the only British political party to vote against it in the European Parliament.

Yes, it's fair enough to think that we might be a little single minded about Europe, those of us in UKIP. But at least could you pay attention when we tell you, for years upon end, that there really is something seriously wrong with a certain proposal? Like this European Arrest Warrant?

Just as one example: if you get extradited under it you'll not be given bail. No chance, no way. So you'll rot in prison until someone deigns to try you.

Why won't you get bail? You're a flight risk as a foreigner. But, of course, the EAW itself, this thing that delivered you up to be held without bail is the very thing that means you're not a flight risk, doesn't it? Because they can come and get you where you live.

Indeed. Of course, it comes as no surprise to learn that, whilst other countries have put in safeguards, our own spineless politicians and civil servants—led, no doubt, by the traitors who have long occupied the Foreign Office—have breezily signed away the rights of British citizens with no fight at all.
Anger at Britain’s “gold-plating” of the controversial European Arrest Warrant is growing after it emerged that other EU countries have secured significant safeguards for their citizens that are not available to British nationals.

More than 1,000 people in Britain last year were seized by police on the orders of European prosecutors, a 51 per cent rise in 12 months.

Many are accused of trivial crimes overseas such as possessing cannabis or leaving petrol stations without paying. No evidence need be presented in British courts of the alleged offence and judges have few powers to resist the person’s extradition.
Those affected can spend long periods in jail here and abroad for crimes which might not even be prosecuted in this country.
They can also be seized for offences which are not even crimes in Britain.

Although the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) was intended to operate in the same way in all 27 EU states, The Sunday Telegraph has established that many other European countries have given themselves “opt-outs” or conditions to protect their citizens.

Well, ain't that a fucking surprise...? Not. And do we think that Our New Coalition Overlords™ will do anything about it? No, we don't. As I pointed out above, some of them voted for the damn thing. And, as Iain pointed out, our Home Secretary has signed up the European Investigation Order—a story that the Telegraph headlines with "Britons to be spied on by foreign police".
The power allows prosecutors from any EU country to demand details such as DNA or even bank and phone records on anyone they suspect of a crime.

Officers in the UK would be almost powerless to refuse the request even if they believed it was disproportionate to the alleged offence being investigated.

Tellingly, at the time when this measure was coming up for consideration, a Home Office spokeswoman said that...
"... the Government will approach legislation in the area of criminal justice on a case-by-case basis, with a view to maximising our country's security, protecting Britain's civil liberties and preserving the integrity of our criminal justice system."

In other words, "we're going to sign up."

How do I know (apart from the fact that it has happened!)? The spokeswoman said that the Coalition would look at "protecting Britain's civil liberties"; not "Britons' civil liberties" or "the civil liberties of British individuals"—it was "Britain's civil liberties". As we all know, a country—a state—cannot have civil liberties: civil liberties pertain to the freedom of the individual.

In any case, as Big Brother Watch have also highlighted, this European Investigation Order does not even require the sign-off of a British judge.
Worst of all, as barrister and former MP Jerry Hayes points out in strong terms, none of this even requires sign-off from a judge:
In its present form the EIO would allow any EU police force to start investigations and gather evidence on UK soil... where it offends against everything we hold sacred, is that no judicial authority is needed to verify whether there are reasonable grounds for an offence to have been committed. In this country the police can’t investigate on a whim, they have to have reasonable grounds to believe that someone is up to no good. So, potentially, every corrupt police officer in the pay of the Mafia in Southern Italy, could come over here, obtain your DNA and bank balances without going to obtain permission from a judge first. Insane. And downright dangerous.

For fuck's sake...

Look, our own police are corrupt, violent, venal thugs with absolutely no interest in defending anyone from fuck-all: there is absolutely no way in hell we should let even more corrupt, violent, venal thugs from the rest of the EU in here to spy on us. I mean, the British police are utterly contemptible but they are paragons of virtue next to the fucking Italian fuzz. Or the Greek ones, for that matter.

Let me spell this out: the state's primary and over-riding purpose is the defence of its citizens. Even were the government to do nothing else at all (please, please...), it should protect British individuals.

It would be bad enough had the government merely proved that it was not able to do so, but it is worse: this government (like the last) is quite simply not willing to do so. Our New Coalition Overlords™ are not willing to protect our citizens, our freedoms and our justice system—indeed, some of them forged our shackles with their own hands. Members of the British government have not only failed to protect our freedoms, they have actively created the instruments of our imprisonment.

And that, my friends, makes them the enemy...

UPDATE: there seems to be some contention over whether or not Dan Hannan did actually vote for the European Arrest Warrant. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find the relevant voting records—could anyone with more experience find them...?

UPDATE 2: Dan maintains in the comments to this post, at 10:02 AM, that he didn't vote for the EAW.
I have opposed the EAW consistently. Indeed, I have just been in Athens to meet Andrew Symeou and his mother. I'm afraid I can't remember the vote that DK cites which, from the names, must have been seven or eight years ago; but it can't have been a vote on the EAW.

Glad to hear it. Trixy—the ball's in your court...


Ian E said...

So Daniel Hannan voted for the EAW according to the report you quote. That's pretty disturbing - I thought he believed in British sovereignty (or rather in trying to preserve what little is left)!

subrosa said...

Just a wee correction DK. Ian Hudghton is not labour but SNP. He's MEP for NE Scotland.

Excellent post though.

Anonymous said...

Very troubling times ahead, no matter who voted for what legislation and whatever power give aways to the EU.

We have been lied to by the previous government and now this coalition Government.

Our country is in dire need of a wake up call.

