Lockerbie paper trail leads to Gordon Brown

[Revmitchell]

Gordon Brown was accused of double dealing last night after an official document emerged claiming that Libya was told that he wanted the Lockerbie bomber to die a free man.

The disclosure threatens to undermine the Government’s determinedly neutral stance over the release of Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi.

It could also deepen the rift with the Obama administration, which yesterday demanded answers from the Government over its role in the affair.

Papers released by the Scottish government included the minutes of a meeting with Libya earlier this year during which it was stated that Bill Rammell, then a foreign office minister, told Tripioli that neither the Prime Minister nor David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, “would want Mr Megrahi to pass away in prison”.

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[Matt Black]

Doesn't look good, does it? Bit of shameful episode in British-US relations that will take a while to put behind us. But the release decision was actually taken by Wee Kenny MacAskill of the Scottish Executive, and Brown and the British government didn't have any direct control over it (it's akin to the State of Virginia deciding to release a convicted IRA man without Washington being able to countermand it). Brown's silence on the issue has been shameful, however, and the Scottish Parliament voted against their own Executive on the issue yesterday: the message from the Scottish legislators to their own government was therefore "not in our name", and I would wish to add my voice to theirs and join them in saying "Sorry, America".