Labour to force European Arrest Warrant vote

Former UK Independence Party treasurer Stuart Wheeler has lost a High Court battle over Britain's opt-in to the European arrest warrant (EAW) scheme.

Three senior judges rejected his legal bid to block moves to rejoin the scheme, which facilitates cross-border extradition within the European Union (EU).

The legal bid follows a Commons vote on Monday, when MPs backed the Government's signing up again to 35 EU justice measures - including the EAW.

Labour will force a vote on the controversial European Arrest Warrant after a debate on the topic failed to take place in parliament yesterday.

The party are expected to push for it to happen next Thursday, saying it was necessary to avoid any later legal challenges.

It had been due to be discussed as part of 35 EU measures the UK must decide to opt into.

Home Secretary Theresa May said the government regarded the EAW vote as a Commons verdict on the whole package.

But Speaker John Bercow postponed it after blasting ministers for trying to "slip things through".

David Cameron had to hurry from a banquet in central London to vote on a key package of EU justice measures this evening.

It followed a barrage of criticism from all sides over the lack of a specific vote on the European Arrest Warrant, the EU-wide extradition scheme.

In the end the Government won the vote comfortably, but it was an embarrassing spectacle for the Prime Minister and Home Secretary Theresa May.

ITV News Political Correspondent Libby Wiener reports:

Read: MPs vote in favour of EU justice measures

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has called Theresa May "very foolish" in her handling of today's vote on EU justice measures.

The Home Secretary was criticised for not including a specific vote on opting into the European Arrest Warrant, which all three of the main parties support.

Read: MPs vote in favour of Govt's package of EU justice measures

The chair of the European Scrutiny Committee, veteran Tory MP Bill Cash, has called the Government's handling of today's vote on EU justice measures "disgraceful".

Mr Cash and other Conservatives were angry that there had not been a specific vote on the European Arrest Warrant (EAW).

Instead MPs were asked to vote on an entire package of 35 draft regulations, including the EAW.

Read: Osborne: British people are very frustrated with Europe

Backbench Tory MPs criticised the government for their "sly" behaviour over the package of EU measures the House voted on tonight.

Jacob Rees Mogg called the failure to include a specific vote on opting into the European Arrest Warrant a "procedural absurdity".

Conservative Sir Richard Shepherd (Aldridge-Brownhills) said the Government "seemed sly" as a result of the situation.

The Government has comfortably won a parliamentary debate on a package of draft EU justice regulations.

The motion was backed by 464 votes to 38.

The Government has defeated a Labour attempt to shelve tonight's debate on draft EU justice measures by 272 votes to 229.

MPs will now vote on the original motion on whether the UK should opt in to a package of 35 measures, with no further debate.

MPs are voting on whether to halt debate on EU justice and data protection measures amid a major row over the failure of ministers to bring forward a specific vote on the European Arrest

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has used a rare parliamentary procedure to try to shelve tonight's debate on EU justice and policing measures.

She asked the Home Secretary, Theresa May, to bring the issue back to the House of Commons tomorrow and have a vote on all 35 of the EU measures, including the European Arrest Warrant.

If Ms Cooper's motion is voted through by MPs, the debate will move to tomorrow, if it is rejected there will be a vote this evening on the package of measures.

Analysis: Speaker hits out at 'sorry saga' over EU arrest warrant