James says that the government is at odds with itself over the Megrahi Case. He cites these statements to support his argument that while either of these claims may be true, they cannot both be:
On the face of it, James is correct. But only, I hazard, on the face of it. That is, the contradiction – or the seeming contradiction – may be explained as follows.David Miliband on the Today Programme on September 2nd: “We did not want him [Megrahi] to die in prison.” Ed Balls on the Today Programme on September 7th: “None of us wanted to see the release of al-Megrahi”
1. Miliband’s line echoes that allegedly made by FCO Minister Bill Rammell. To wit, the government assured the Libyans that there was no desire to see Megrahi die in a Scottish jail.
2. This does not, in fact, contradict Balls’s assertion that “none of us” wanted to see Megrahi released.
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