Shooting from the Lip

Musings rarely ventures into the wider range of politics outside the generally apolitical borders-Huttonian leaves that to the witty and surgical Havering On (although I think he prefers music to ministers)but I can not resist the article here about the 'Great Escape' starring Abdul Baset Al Megrahi, a walk off part, and Kenny MacAskill in his greatest role. As someone who was peripherally involved in the hunt for the 'Lockerbie Bomber' I have considerable sympathy for those many people who believe that they banged up the wrong guy and I have even more sympathy for the Scottish Minister of Justice who I think did exactly the right thing in sending Mr M home on compassionate grounds despite all the international pressure on him to let the wretched fellow die in prison. And now of course he is the fall guy with people like Gordon Brown scrambling into their flak jackets, hunkering down and closing the hatches to escape the fallout ( metaphors slightly stretched but you know what I mean)This was an act of great political courage-and even, although I hate to say it, Fishy Salmond has come out of this ordeal by Washington remarkably well. No, I am not voting SNP, but full marks in this instance. Well perhaps 9 out of 10 as Mr MacAskill was surely a bit naive to expect the Libyans to do the decent and sensitive thing by receiving their returning Prodigal Son with anything short of full and fulsome honours. I wonder if he read the advice from Our Man in Tripoli on this point? Much better to have insisted ion using an RAF plane flying into a Libyan military base but even then the Libyans would have probably insisted on a hero's welcome

And as Kenneth Roy points out in the Scottish Review politicians not intimately concerned should keep their mouths shut until they have something considered and almost sensible to say.

But that will be the day.

Kenneth Roy also suggests that Gordon Brown is losing credibility by staying mum and
'shows no inclination to emerge blinking into the sunlight with a statement on Lockerbie'. The decision to release the Libyan is not a matter for the UK government and he is wise to stay out of it-and indeed when he does emerge the bunker he should make clear his constitution detachment with a statement on the lines of
: '

Er, Abdul Baset who?'

(Thank you Iain Dale of flickr for this image) Of you recognise the senior lady in the photo you may win a coconut.

But not ftom me

Labels: Abdul Baset Al Megrahi, David Cameron, Kenny MacAskill, Lockerbie bomber, Scottish Review

  ¶ 11:42 AM