David Cameron has pledged to "repair the relationship" between the Scottish and UK governments if he is elected to become the next Prime Minister.
The Tory leader said he would work "tirelessly" for the whole of the UK and condemned Gordon Brown for taking a year to met Alex Salmond during one of the "worst economic crisis in our modern history".
Mr Cameron also criticised both governments for not co-operating during the Lockerbie bomber's release, describing it as "shameful".
Addressing party members at their Scottish conference in Perth on Friday afternoon Mr Cameron said that "would not happen on my watch". (...)
On the Lockerbie bomber's release, Mr Cameron said: "It’s shameful that during one of the most emotionally-charged moments in our recent history, when the Lockerbie bomber was released from jail to return home to Libya where he still is today, the Scottish Government and British Government refused to cooperate."
[From a report on the STV News website.
A commentary on this issue on the Hythlodaeus blog contains the following paragraph:]
"As regards the Lockerbie Bomber, there was no need for the Scottish and British Governments to cooperate. There was no issue between Westminster and Holyrood. The Scottish Justice Minister made a decision about a prisoner in his custody, and Westminster has no more right to have a say in that then the Scottish Government has to have a say about the release of Ronnie Biggs (held in an English Prison and released by Home Secretary Alan Johnston)."
So Cameron's continuing the charade. What a lot of rubbish! In my opinion the Scottish and the UK governments with the intelligence services worked very closely together to put into effect the release of Megrahi.
ReplyDelete"would not happen on my watch" Yes, that's because he wouldn't be looking.
ReplyDeleteActually Biggsy was released by Justice secretary Jack Straw not Home Secretary Alan Johnson.
ReplyDeleteFormer Foreign Secretary Jack Straw initially turned down Ronnie Bigggs' application for compassionate release on the grounds that Biggs had not shown sufficient contrition for his crime.
ReplyDeleteWhatever the semantics it was in the interest of the British Government to have Megrahi released. The second Appeal may have been an issue and there may have been a desire to bring the saga to an end. There may have been considerations of Trade and Mr Straw has declined to disclose the details of communications with BP. Above all there wa the prospect of reprisals against UK citizens should Megrahi die in custody.
Mr Megrahi has never shown remorse as he has denied involvement. In reversing his decision in the Biggs case Mr Straw avoided the situation where Mr MacAskill (should he have been minded) may have rejected Megrahi's petition on similar grounds and pointed to the Justice Secretary's decision as justification and precedent.