Assange and Asylum

Up until very recently I've been a strong supporter of Julian Assange. I've felt ashamed of Britain for not protecting him against extradition and not allowing him safe passage to Ecuador. I've felt angry at Sweden for pushing forward with the allegations of sexual assault and not questioning him in the UK. I've felt that the whole thing was just a ploy by the US government in order to have him handed over to them. And then I changed my mind.
Fact is, if the US government really wanted to have Assange in custody then they could have Assange in custody one way or another. But more importantly than that - why is he suddenly more likely to be extradited when in Sweden than in the UK? Britain has all sorts of extradition treaties with the US. Sweden and the UK are both in the European Union and so neither of them are likely to extradite anyone to a country where the charge they face could lead to torture or the death penalty, like Julian Assange claims.
It is also not right that Assange should be claiming asylum when he is wanted in another country over a non-political crime.
Britain are following protocol. They are doing what they are internationally obliged to do. Yes the stuff with threatening to enter the embassy was pretty off, but for the most part they are in a really difficult situation.
Julian Assange is intelligent enough to know all of this and yet he continues to stay in the Ecuadorian Embassy and claim asylum.
He is fracturing important global relationships. He is costing my country thousands of pounds in tax payers money for the police that are now guarding the embassy twenty four seven. He is stopping justice. I don't know whether he assaulted those two women. The timeline of events seems a bit strange to me as from what I've read they spoke to journalists before they spoke to policemen, but I do know that either way it is not just that he should not stand trial.
I don't know what things are like in Sweden, but in Britain it is incredibly difficult to get sexual assault convictions. The women are painted in court to be lying sluts and told that it was their fault and that they wanted it. It is incredibly traumatic for them and very often their assaulter walks free. Due to the media circus that Assange has created, there is no way that any trial would be fair. To many, if he gets convicted it will all be part of an American conspiracy and if he walks free it will be all because of his publicity. Neither of these would be a just outcome.
For someone that parades about like they are on the side of truth and justice, he is appearing to be doing everything in his power to stop truth and justice when it comes to his own life.
His behaviour is selfish, manipulative and cowardly.