Latest extradition bluster fails British citizens - Campbell

4.16.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 10th Jul 2006

Sir Menzies Campbell

Sir Menzies Campbell today highlighted the 'abject failure' of the Government to protect the interests of British citizens in extradition proceedings. He also corrected Baroness Scotland's claims that those seeking to re-balance the current system are engaged in political point-scoring against the United States.

Responding to Baroness Scotland's announcement of her visit to the United States to discuss extradition issues with the US Senate, Sir Menzies said "The Government has belatedly woken up to the problems pointed out to them by the Liberal Democrats as long ago as December 2003.

Tomorrow, Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords will move amendments aimed at blocking extradition to the USA without evidence of guilt being provided. The UK Government is set to send a minister to the US to plead with the government to ratify an extradition treaty, amid a row over three former NatWest bankers. The "NatWest 3" will be extradited to the US on Thursday over alleged fraud offences linked to bankrupt Enron. Last night five former Conservative Cabinet ministers - John Gummer, Michael Howard, Sir Malcolm Rifkind, Lord Brittan and Lord Lamont - signed a letter urging the Government to stop the men being extradited. Menzies Campbell has written to David Cameron asking for clarification on his party's parliamentary position on extradition, as the Conservatives abstained when the legislation was passed in 2003.