I'm not convinced.I was born near Lockerbie and vote for the Scottish National Party whose justice minister released Megrahi. I think Mr MacAskill made the wrong decision, but I don't believe that he was motivated by considerations of oil.
The SNP hates the Labour party and vice versa. I can think of no reason why the SNP would do something to favour the UK Labour government. On the contrary, the SNP uses every opportunity it can to embarrass Labour and usually succeeds.
As for oil, Scotland contains around 95% of the UK North Sea oil reserves but has only 8.5% of its population. For 40 years or so the SNP has argued that an independent Scotland with its oil resources would be as rich as Norway. Again, why would the SNP agree to an oil deal that would benefit its main enemy, the Labour party?
I think that what you see is what you get. I've been to several political gatherings in the last two weeks during the Edinburgh Festival. Only yesterday I heard the SNP education minister assure her audience that MacAskill's decision was based solely on Megrahi's health condition. I've heard the same from other SNP politicians. Once again, I think MacAskill made the wrong decision, as do most folk in Scotland.
The SNP is a coalition of of people who favour Scottish independence. Some are on the left and some are on the right. I'd place MacAskill on the left, and a different justice minister from his party might well have come to the opposite conclusion about a Megrahi release.
As for those who think that MacAskill's release of Megrahi was some sort of anti-American move, consider this: the country that lost the highest proportion of its population on that terrible night was Scotland.
A libertarian returns to Scotland
"Freedom and Whisky gang thegither"
- Robert Burns
Sunday, 30 August 2009
Lockerbie
This is my reply on an American site to the claims in today's Sunday Times about a Libyan oil deal:
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Colin Finlay
Who is this Alastair McGarry and why do they truncate his forename and mis-spell his surname.
14 September 2009, 06:20:07 GMT+01:00
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David Farrer
DH,
On Thomas Hamilton, probably he wouldn't have been let out. But I'm not totally sure. I'd never heard of this compassionate release thing before and who knows what MacAskill or any other justice minister would have decided in the Hamilton case?
As I said earlier, I think MacAskill made the wrong decision given that Megrahi is still guilty in law and given the nature of the crime. Whether Megrahi did it or nor - I don't know.
3 September 2009, 20:20:00 GMT+01:00
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David Farrer
DH,
I'd like the Conservatives to support free trade, the rule of law, property rights, freedom of speech. I don't see any sign of that from Cameron, though I certainly prefer him to Brown. On the other hand, should the Tories be elected before the economy bottoms out (still to happen I think) then "capitalism" will get the blame. There is a good argument that says that it's better for Labour to be in charge when the SHTF. Not that I could ever vote for them of course.
The Freedom and Whisky plan probably appeals to Neil. But, DH, see my point 3 above.
3 September 2009, 20:14:03 GMT+01:00
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Neil Craig
There is a libertarian argument for independence - that many small countries, with free trade between them, would be driven by competition to adopt sensible economic policies (or to be unable to resist big corporations - a theme of Heinlein's Friday). If separation were to be net beneficial it could be done without rancour in your family, or elsewhere. As their new controls of hedge funds show the EU operates on precisely the opposite principle.
I support federalism for this reason & it may just be for history that i do not support separation.
3 September 2009, 14:36:45 GMT+01:00
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D H
Just out of interest what did you want the Conservatives to conserve and what have they not conserved that you wish they had?
I'm an emotional Unionist so the SNP will never get my vote I'm afraid. I'd don't want to see a border between half my family just to prove Scotland can survive on it's own. Besides which the SNP claim we support England with our surplus so I'm happy to help those less fortunate with my charity.
3 September 2009, 13:50:57 GMT+01:00
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D H
I don't think you have to have an unquenchable bloodlust to expect someone convicted of murdering 270 to serve more than 8 years in prison.
I think the descision was wrong, but I also have real doubts about his conviction.
I also think that if Thomas Hamilton had not killed himself and was to die in prison then the people of Scotland would find a descision to release him on compassionate grounds almost universally unacceptable.
3 September 2009, 12:38:58 GMT+01:00
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Sam Duncan
“4. I want to be Scottish ambassador to the US, France or Italy...”
Well, when you put it like that...
30 August 2009, 19:44:11 GMT+01:00
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David Farrer
Sam,
I agree about the EU, but my message on the US site wasn't really the place to go into that. My own conversion from Tory voter to SNP has various causes:
1. When did the Tories last conserve anything worth conserving?
2. An "independent" Scotland would have to live within its means. It'll be good fun to watch that happening.
3. I think that independence, however defined, may well come sometime. Perhaps by our being expelled from the UK. I'd quite like to see how we manage it.
4. I want to be Scottish ambassador to the US, France or Italy...
30 August 2009, 18:54:26 GMT+01:00
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Sam Duncan
Am I alone in hoping we got something out of it, rather than just letting him out? Neil makes a good point: the sudden about-face on Biggs's release looks... “interesting” now.
“The SNP is a coalition of of people who favour Scottish independence.”
So why isn't that its policy?
(Sorry, cheap shot. But the Nats' E-Unionism has become my “delenda est Carthago” whenever they come up.)
30 August 2009, 16:36:41 GMT+01:00
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Neil Craig
I think it was right to release him purely because he is innocent. Nonetheless I do not believe this was done by the SNP off their own bat. I don't think MacAskill has ever demonstrated the moral fervour to do this without backing. It was Westminster Labour who signed up for the prisoner exchange deal, Jack Straw who completely reversed himself in a month on releasing Biggs (without which the compassion line would have been untenable) & moreover Westminster Labour have gone to great lengths not to successfully embarass the SNP over this, Brown making himself invisible.
30 August 2009, 15:54:49 GMT+01:00
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David Farrer
I can confirm that the book festival audiences have been split 50/50 on this at the several events where it's been discussed.
30 August 2009, 11:05:54 GMT+01:00
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Vavatch
It is interesting that compassion is considered left wing. I am not so convinced a different justice secretary would have reached a different decision, the decision reached seems pretty much mandated by available facts and circumstances.
Interestingly the population's opinion on the matter is not far off 50/50 especially considering the hysterical reporting of the whole thing. And legal establishment in Scotland is overwhelmingly in favour when polled about it.
It is only people with a political axe to grind or no knowledge other than an unquenchable bloodlust who seem to be against the decision.
30 August 2009, 10:30:08 GMT+01:00
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