Views
Extradition Treaty is lopsided and unfair - for The Inverness Courier
LAST week I was one of the group of Liberal Democrat MPs who forced the House of Commons to hold an emergency debate on the new extradition treaty with the United States. This has treaty has become notorious because of the wide media coverage given to the case of the "Nat West Three", but I became involved because I believe it has much wider - and more worrying - implications that go far beyond the current case.
I have no idea whether the Nat West Three are innocent or guilty. But given that their alleged crime took place in the UK, they worked for a British firm and the people against who they are alleged to have defrauded are in the UK, it seems absurd that they have had no opportunity for the evidence against them to be tested in a British court before being extradited.
Unfortunately, the right to have evidence - which can be no more than mere accusations - examined in court before a British person is extradited to the US was removed under the new Treaty signed by Mr Blair's government in 2003. The treaty is deeply unbalanced because the British prosecutors have to meet a higher standard of evidence before an American is extradited here.
Even more bizarre, the UK government is acting as if this new agreement has already entered into force when the US Senate has not ratified it - nor does it seem likely to.
The government tried to avoid parliamentary scrutiny by forcing the agreement through a committee with only 90 minutes debate - only the Lib Dems on the committee voted against it.
Ministers had to be dragged kicking and screaming to Parliament this week to defend this lop-sided and unfair agreement.
Listening to the Minister in the debate, it felt like we were being lectured by a representative of the US government, not someone whose primary job should be to defend the interests of British citizens. It is still not clear why the government agreed to this, though it fits a pattern of Mr Blair's time in office that the government is more willing to agree with whatever George Bush wants than to defend the interests and views of British people.
A good relationship between the US and the UK is important to both countries, but that relationship must be between equals willing to debate and disagree not between master and poodle. Sadly, our Prime Minister seems all to happy to play the latter role and any British person accused of a crime in the US will now pay the price.
Tax credits
I make no apology to returning once again to the subject of tax credits.The very good idea behind the system - to supplement the incomes of people, especially families, on low wages to make work pay - is being undermined by catastrophically poor administration and complacency on the part of Ministers.
Every week I receive new cases of local people who are being pushed into hardship because of the flaws in this system.
People who have been overpaid tax credits through no fault of their own are then being asked to repays the money - sometimes many thousands of pounds. For people on low incomes that financial rollercoaster is devastating, and I know people who have been forced to give up work or are unable to pay their rent as a result.
In many cases, an appeal results in a decision being overturned. But despite being told to do so by the Ombudsman, the government has still not implemented a system where overpayments are investigated automatically before repayment is demanded.
Last week, the National Audit Office published a devastating report which revealed that fraud and error in the tax credit system is now the worst in the welfare system.
I questioned the Minister Dawn Primarolo about one particularly troubling aspect - the payment of tax credits to people subject to immigration control. Some of the systems that would have prevented this were suspended for 18 months from March 2003 - and it is still not clear why.
As in many other areas of this government's activity, it is deeply frustrating that Minister's still refuse to take responsibility for the consequences of their policy.
Keeping up to date
I believe it is very important that local people are kept well-informed about my activities as your MP. The press and leaflets are important, but so is the internet. I am currently working to improve my own website - www.dannyalexander.org.uk - but Courier readers may also be interested in an independently run website - www.theyworkforyou.com
The site allows you to find out about your MP's parliamentary activity - speeches made, questions asked (and answers received), and voting record as well.
Posted on: 18/07/2006
