May ‘put popularity first’ on Scot’s US extradition

Published on 20/10/2012 00:51

Home Secretary Theresa May admitted to United States officials over the summer that blocking Gary McKinnon’s extradition would have ramifications for national security, it has been claimed.

Alan Johnson, a predecessor as home secretary, said the Tory minister also told US authorities there were no legal or medical grounds for rejecting the application.

Mr Johnson accused Mrs May of taking the “easy way out” by putting popularity before justice.

Scot Mr McKinnon was accused by US prosecutors of “the biggest military computer hack of all time”, but he claims he was looking for evidence of UFOs.

A Home Office spokesman said: “The Home Secretary concluded his [Mr McKinnon’s] extradition would give rise to such a high risk of him ending his life that it would be incompatible with his human rights.”