NATWEST THREE TAKE CENTRE STAGE…

12-07-2006

It's not the The Stirrer's habit to feel sorry for wealthy bankers, but the fate of the NatWest Three should arouse sympathy - and anger - in every British heart.

Here are three men - Giles Darby, David Bermingham and Gary Mulgrew - who will shortly be swapping the pin-stripes and braces of the City for the orange boiler suits and cuffs of an American slammer.

They stand accused by the US authorities of involvement in the Enron scandal, but deny any wrong-doing.

Now traditionally, Britain protected any citizen threatened with extradition by an overseas government.

Our courts insisted on hearing at least an outline case against the accused to make sure they weren't simply being picked on.

Not any more though.

That right was waived by the Blair government in 2003, and so on Thursday the long arm of Uncle Sam will reach across the Atlantic and airlift three of our fellow countrymen to Houston, Texas.

No evidence was necessary - just the word of an American prosecutor that he thinks he's got a case against them.

This isn'ta mere legal technicality, it's a gross dereliction of duty - a sign that the British state has given up on one of it's most basic functions, to look after the interests of its own people.

We all know why it happened of course…the so-called “War On Terror”, which has been an excuse for some of the most totalitarian legislation ever seen either in the UK or US.

The 2003 Extradition Act, for example, was supposed to combat dangerous fanatics but most of those it's been used against have faced charges - like the NatWest Three - of corporate crimes.

It was justified at the time on the basis of the “special relationship” between the two countries.

Hmm. Let's just see how special it is shall we?

Although Britain changed its extradition laws to suit the Yanks, the US senate still hasn't ratified the treaty which would make it easier for us to bring their citizens for trial over here.

As “special relationships” go, this isn't simply a case of Blair being Bush's poodle - we are entire nation of lapdogs awaiting the whims of our master across the pond.

Want another example?

Today in Los Angeles, Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell will plead with the American authorities for fast-track visas so that British rock bands can more easily play gigs there.

Currently they have to pay £550 and wait three months for their application to be processed - red tape which prevented some of our best up n' coming musical talent showing what it could do at the South by Southwest showcase in Texas last year.

Maybe the NatWest Three - good name for a group - will get the chance to do a turnat the festivalwhen they are eventually released from prison.

How about a quick blast “I Fought The Law”, or “I'm So Bored With The USA”?

Better still: “This Is Not America.”