Al-Megrahi, Oil and the SNP

Jack Straw's admission that the Westminster government had opened a prisoner transfer agreement (PTA) with Libya to bring an oil deal on stream has lead to the SNP Government in Holyrood being tarred with the same brush. The inference that Kenny MacAskill's decision was based upon an oil deal with Libya is not only not based upon fact as the files will evidence, it is completely devoid of common sense.

Whilst Brown and Co. would apparently have happily handed over Abdelbasset Al-Megrahi for black gold, this was upset by circumstances in Holyrood, namely the election of the SNP administration in June 2007. The SNP have re-iterated that they would not agree to the PTA, and have continually stressed that they are happy for the files to be released detailing the decision making process. A Labour administration in contrast, would have been expected to tow the party line in honouring the PTA.

Instead Kenny MacAskill considered realeasing terminally ill Al-Megrahi on compassionate grounds, something which is enshrined in Scots law. This decision left him with nothing to gain politically, and was clearly a very difficult decision to make. Advice was sought from a number of officials including the Chief Inspector of Strathclyde Police, before coming to the decision.

Whilst personally I think that Al-Megrahi's conviction and the evidence used to secure it was highly suspect, and I question his guilt in the first place, see USS Vincennes. I don't think that this did play a part in the decision making process. The corrospondence is there for all to see. Neither do I think that it should have. Guilt or innocence are a matter for appeal. The likelihood that Libya would have given him a hero's welcome on his return to Tripoli should not have been a matter for consideration either. Assurances were made and these were not kept. MacAskill cannot be held responsible for that.

The idea that MacAskill was insensitive and inconsiderate in granting compassionate release does not take into account how strongly the sensitivity, of what is a very difficult issue, was considered. Advice was sought from the UK Government regarding agreements that were made with the US on where Al-Megrahi was to serve his prison sentence. Westminster regrettably decided not to issue this advice. In further support of the SNP administration's sensitive approach to the issue, Alex Salmond wrote a letter to Gordon Brown dated 25th October 2008, where he highlighted the sensitivity of inviting Colonel Gadaffi to an oil sumit 2 days before the 20th Anniversary of the disaster. If anyone is guilty of insensitivity therefore, it is the Labour government.

The inference that the SNP were involved in a shady energy deal is put simply proposterous. An SNP government, which would seek independence for what is an energy rich Scotland, would have little to gain out of a foreign oil deal, unlike London. Especially when you consider that a newly independent Scotland would find it most prudent to sell oil and gas to it's energy hungry neighbour south of the border.