Tory EU threats would hinder future Megan teacher arrests - 2012-09-30

“If Tory threats to pull us out of European police co-operation were carried through, this would prevent future arrests using the European Arrest Warrant,” said Labour MEP Glenis Willmott speaking at a fringe event at Labour’s Conference in Manchester today.

French police were able to use the European Arrest Warrant when they arrested Jeremy Forrest, Megan Stammers’ teacher, near Bordeaux last week.

The European Arrest Warrant is one part of a raft of EU police and judicial co-operation legislation where Britain has negotiated a possible opt-out beginning in 2014.

Many Tory euro-sceptics, with support from Prime Minister Cameron in Brasilia last week, have seen using this opt-out as “low-hanging fruit” in their battle for the UK to leave the EU.

“If we opt out of EU police and judicial co-operation, it would be an insecure prime-minister putting Tory party unity before the interests of the British people,” said Glenis Willmott.

 “The European Arrest Warrant has been widely used for awful crimes committed in Britain, for example Italian police used it to arrest a suspect from the failed 2005 London bombings.

“Right across the EU, police support this co-operation, and that includes the British police. It makes their jobs a lot easier,” she said.

The Lib Dems oppose the British opt-out from European co-operation.

ENDS

For more information please contact David Poyser on 00 32 479 790053 or david.poyser@europarl.europa.eu 

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