EVERY letter I have read about Abu Qatada rightly condemns his extreme and hateful views of this country and wants an illegal immigrant sent back to his home country.

However, I think there is a more important issue at stake. The current Government is trying to extradite this individual at the same time as complying with the law.

The Government cannot be seen to ignore the rule of law, but what law?

This brings us to the bigger issue. Successive Governments have signed up to EU treaties that, it would seem, have agreed to a “foreign” court overuling the decisions of our own elected Government and, even more worrying, a decision about an individual that is seen as a threat to our national security.

Abu Qatada is just a high-profile example of surrendering the sovereign rights of our own elected Government.

It will not change until our politicians respond to the views of the majority of the population.

I would also add that I find Yvette Cooper’s criticism of the current Government’s efforts as breathtaking hypocrisy: her party did little or nothing during their time in government.

IAN CUMMINGS, Gibson Close, Abingdon