The events surrounding the release of the Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi have underlined just how demoralised, unprincipled and chaotic the Brown Government has become. There was a very makeable case for releasing al-Megrahi, but Brown and his minions haven't attempted to make it. There was a case for keeping him in custody, but they haven't made that case either. Instead, with steadily dwindling credibility they've attempted to wash their hands of the whole matter by claiming it was a purely a decision of the Scottish government. Brown himself signed a letter to the Libyans some time ago saying that the Government did not want al-Megrahi to die in prison, yet today his Mini-me Ed Balls is claiming that Brown always opposed the release.
Now Brown has chosen to tie himself still further in knots, by announcing that the Foreign Office will provide dedicated help to victims of IRA violence who are trying to claim compensation from Libya -- this after the Government has stonewalled these same people for many years. (Jeremy Vine made the rather interesting point on Radio 2 today that it would make more sense to seek compensation from the United States, whose citizens paid for the Semtex used in the bombings, rather than from the Libyans, who simply supplied it). Tripoli has already repudiated any claims, and no doubt by raising the issue Brown has undone any good he thought he might have done in rebuilding UK-Libyan relations, without in any way assuaging opinion in the US.
Anyway, based on recent precedent we'll only know that Brown is taking the matter seriously when he appoints some TV personality or other to front up the operation. Could this be the real reason for Sir Terry Wogan's departure from his morning show?
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