Though of course on this issue the British government isn't much better...

True, but when the numbers involved are so small, you have more confidence that the people involved are more likely to be incarcerated for a good reason. When the number is 600+ you can be pretty sure that some of them were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Of course, we only know that the UK is incarcerating 14 people because that's the number they told us.
The other important factors are that not since the end of the British Empire has the UK insisted on ramming their social values down everyone elses' throats, and neither do the Brits pretend to be as white as the pure driven snow. Whilst we try to keep to the Queensbury rules, we're know that we're going to hit below the belt when absolutely necessary. In constrast the USA regularly proclaims itself to be the leader of the Free World, and constantly promotes that belief that the USA fights cleaner than everyone else.
I think this is important - people don't like bullying, but they hate hypocrisy.

Blunkett and Ashcroft obviously went to the same school. Both would like to see everyone on the planet carrying biometric identity cards 24x7. Welcome to the New World Order.