Theresa May deserves praise for her tenacity It is more than 10 years since the Islamist preacher Abu Qatada was first arrested pending his deportation to Jordan as a threat to national security. At every turn, the efforts of the British Government to remove him have been thwarted by the European Convention on Human Rights and the Strasbourg court that oversees it. To begin with, the possibility that he would be tortured meant his deportation was blocked under Article 3 of the convention. So the Labour government sought assurances from Jordan that Qatada would not be mistreated. These were accepted by the European Court - but in January it again stayed his removal, this time on the grounds that evidence to be used in the terrorism trial he faces might have been extracted under duress. Qatada, who was freed from prison under stringent bail conditions, was back behind bars yesterday as the Home Office once again sought to kick him out. But earlier indications that he would be on a plane to Amman by the end of this month were swiftly dashed in the House of Commons by Theresa May, the Home Secretary. In reality, little appears to have changed as a result of her statement. Mrs May had until yesterday to appeal against the European Court ruling and was advised not to, in case another defeat undermined the whole concept of country-to-country agreements. Instead, the formal deportation procedure has now been resumed; but Qatada can still take his case back through the British courts and eventually to Strasbourg once more. Mrs May conceded that it could take months to go through the appeal procedures that the cleric and his lawyer are able to exploit. The Government hopes the process will be expedited because the grounds on which he can appeal are narrowing. In particular, Mrs May expressed confidence that recent constitutional changes in Jordan will ensure Qatada receives a fair trial. His conviction in absentia for terrorism offences will be quashed; he will be tried in public before a civilian court; and he will be able to mount a proper defence. The Home Secretary deserves credit for her tenacity. She is clearly anxious to throw Qatada out - but so, too, were her predecessors. Will she succeed where they failed? She told MPs of her frustration at the delays but was adamant that the Government must obey the law. However, it is at least arguable that it has already done so, only to find the human rights goalposts moved at the last minute. Unfortunately, Mrs May's statement, intended to demonstrate political determination and strength of purpose, once again exposed the country's inability to deport those who pose a risk to this country when it chooses to.