Doubts remain over al-Megrahi

The morning after the day before, it seems that some of the murk around Abdelbaset al-Megrahi’s release has lifted. In particular, one thing is explicit that wasn’t before: that the policy of the Brown government was to “do all it could” to facilitate the convicted Lockerbie bomber’s transfer to Libya. We might have surmised the same from David Miliband’s statements at the time. But now, at least, we know for sure.

Naturally, this is tricky news for Labour, and especially for the Ghosts of 2008 whose names are splashed across the papers today: Brown himself, Jack Straw, Des Browne, etc. And yet Gus O’Donnell’s report has also absolved them of the worst sin of all: lobbying the Scottish government to release al-Megrahi. They may have advised Libya on the matter, they may have cultivated links between Tripoli and Edinburgh – but they didn’t lobby the Scottish government. Brown’s own statement, yesterday, made much of this point.

This does not draw a line under proceedings, however. The US Senator Robert Menendez has already said it “really stretches the imagination” that London did not apply direct pressure on Edinburgh – and has renewed the call for an independent inquiry as a result. While, for his part, David Cameron is still resisting those calls. Yesterday, the Prime Minister said that Labour had not been giving us the “full picture” over al-Megrahi’s release. What it comes down to is whether we have the entire canvas before us, even now.