Last week there was controversy when the Government refused to let MPs have a vote on the specific issue of transferring a number of criminal justice powers from British courts to European courts. I made clear at the time that I felt this was wrong.
Yesterday the Labour Party gave over some debate time so that we could specifically debate and then vote on the European Arrest warrant. I won’t pause to reflect on the irony that Labour wanted MPs to have a vote on transferring more powers to Brussels, but don’t want the voters to have their say in an EU Referendum, but never mind.
The vote at the end was largely symbolic, as the Government had Labour support to transfer these additional powers. I was one of 29 Conservative MPs who voted against this measure. My view on criminal justice remains unaltered – Britain should and could enter into individual extradition treaties with other EU countries to get criminals deported and locked up, but it should not surrender yet another great swathe of powers to Brussels in the process.
British laws, created by British MPs elected by the British people. Administered in British courts, by British judges. That is the criminal justice system I am determined to preserve.