'Grandstanding' senators
It's fascinating to see US senators blow their tops over the refusal of the former Justice Secretary, Jack Straw, and the Scottish Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill to appear before a Senate committee to answer questions over the Lockerbie affair.
It naturally prompts the question about whether any Westminster select committee at Westminster has ever got a US government official - or former official - to appear before them for a good grilling?
When asked today, the clerk of Commons committees couldn't think of any examples. The nearest similar case he could come up with is when several European MEPs appeared before a committee some years ago.
The former chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Mike Gapes, says his committee never tried to interview a US official during his time, and would never have dreamt of doing so. Not even during all the rows about the Iraq War.
"These senators are just grandstanding," Gapes told me.
I'm Michael Crick, and I'm Newsnight's political editor. My guiding rule is that in any story there's usually something the politicians would prefer the world not to know. My job is to find that out. Follow me on
Comment number 1.
At 28th Jul 2010, barriesingleton wrote:GRANDSTANDING SENATORS
Maybe they thought: "If that Dave Cameron can do it . . . "
Complain about this comment (Comment number 1)
Comment number 2.
At 29th Jul 2010, MindYourOwnBusiness wrote:Just watching Alex Salmond, stating his prime argumnet, why should we send ministers over to the US, when there have been no recorded incidents of US sentaors going to another parliamntry jurisdicition, to answer questions. For instance US senstors were invited to the UK to answer to the Chilcott enquiry and refused.
So why is it ok, for the British Governnet to allow our citizens to be extradited to the US for trials, and questioning?
One rule for the Ministers, and another for the everyday UK citizen, who is expendable?
Complain about this comment (Comment number 2)