The Government's call to Libya not to celebrate the first anniversary of the release of convicted Lockerbie bomber, Abdelbasset Ali al-Megrahi, illustrates the feebleness of ministers' position.
In truth, they have no power over how Libya treats al-Megrahi, jailed in 2001 for his role in the 1988 bombing.
Well, which is it, is it being feeble or is it powerless? Either the UK Goverment has power to act and is acting feebly in doing so or it is powerless and consequently denied the opportunity to interject, feebly or otherwise. (The answer is, of course, the latter)
The Prime Minister has made clear that he believes al-Megrahi's release last year on compassionate grounds, because of terminal cancer, was a mistake. That is not cutting much ice with US senators now investigating the release.
The Prime Minister has stated that the release was a mistake but that would suggest an oversight, an error or a misjudgement. There has been none of these things and while Cameron is within his rights to disagree with MacAskill's decision, which was taken in good faith and for the right reasons, he does not have the right to unequivocally label a meticulously undertaken decision something that that it patently is not.
The decision by Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill to release al-Megrahi was extraordinary.
It was not extraordinary, far from it. It was a straightforward decision, in line with Scots Law that many a Justice Secretary has taken before and many will take again in the future.
There is scarcely a British precedent for early release on any grounds of a prisoner convicted of such serious crimes: 270 people were killed.
Has there ever been any UK prisoner that has been accused of killing so many people? What comparison can one reasonably make here?
But what the affair really illustrates is the oddness of Britain's devolution settlement, and the inability of a Scottish Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, to see how ludicrous it looks to the rest of the world.
Devolution is odd? Interesting. Two in three Scots are in favour of it you know. Do go on.
Any decision on al-Megrahi was clearly a matter of national security, both because he was an international terrorist and because his case was of major interest to our most important ally (most of those who died were American).
How on earth, if Libya and the UK are now friendly nations, can the release of a solitary dying man be "clearly a matter of national security". And to suggest that American interests should have played a part in the Justice Secretary's decision-making process displays a grotesque misunderstanding of how due process should unfold.
For ministers to argue that it was nothing to do with them, because they had handed over power to a few toytown Scottish politicians, was incomprehensible to the Obama administration.
Toytown politicians? Such a sneering condescension from this Tory rag of a paper barely merits a response.
As for "handed over power" to Holyrood, the Evening Standard clearly doesn't even understand that, had this decision been required pre-devolution, then it still would've been taken under Scots Law and north of the border. Schoolboy error.
That Mr Brown could not see how frankly silly his excuses looked is testimony to his and the Labour Party's long and disproportionate obsession with Scottish issues.
There is little that the Government can now do about the affair, beyond Mr Cameron's sympathetic noises in Washington last month. Ministers should, however, consider whether devolved powers as they now stand risk embarrassing and weakening the UK again in future.
There we go, Scotland is embarrassing the rest of the UK for having the nerve to make its own decisions for itself. Threatening to remove devolved powers that don't even apply in this instance just sums it up for me - the jaw-dropping misunderstanding and contempt that Scotland is held with by many of those south of the border.
I've held this back from the blog for a while now but I've had a few so fuck it. In the short space of time that I've been down here in London, to everyone that's mentioned Jockland or deep frying everything or 'Oh, how weird, I can understand you' or 'you Scotch should know your place' (as the Evening Standard is effectively saying here), do me a favour and shove it up your arse.
Right. Up. Your. Arse.
Note - For those who think the Megrahi debacle may harm the SNP's chances at the Holyrood election, hold onto your hats for this weekend as a very good poll for the Nats is in the offing...
29 comments:
Something folks seldom point out. Scotland released him, sure. But remind me - who controls the borders? Who allowed him to leave?
The Torygraph uses 'feckless' it shows ignorance on their part. Numpties fits them perfectly.
As a Welshman who has spent some time in London, I know how you feel. I've heard worse because I can sound quite English and so catch the comments that wouldn't be said to your face if they knew who you were. They're worse not because they're more overtly offensive, but because they are said by people who think they're making reasonable points, and indeed seem quite reasonable in every other respect.
But the Evening Standard is something else again. This is bad even by their standards.
I caught a bit of the Megrahi discussion on Radio 4's Any Questions this evening and the anti-Scottish rants from some of the guests were quite extraordinary. "Mickey Mouse politicians", "English subsidies", despairing of devolution, attacks on Scottish nationalism, loud applause from the Sutton Coldfield audience... I could go on. Most of the smug spite eminated from the none-more hideous Douglas Murray, admittedly, but you get the point.
Eddie Mair, who chaired the debate, sounded like a broken man by the end of it.
Fuck me you should huv a bevvy mare often. Well said!
The English are not the only ones good at condescension, however they do have a particular talent for it.
Regarding the glaring innacuracies of the piece and the fallibility of our erstwhile colonial masters in general, kinda shows up the idiots who actually believe, yep they do, that we need the English. What do we need them for exactly?
I have to admit I had a little chuckle to myself when I read the Toytown Politicians bit, but this isn't so much a London view of Scotland or Scots, as a metropolitan view of how they see anything from outside the M25.
I lived down in London for a couple of years and it was this, more than anything else in my life that made me come to the view that Scotland should be independent. I remember being called a "Sweaty" a lot when I was down there, an expression I had never even heard before moving down there and I've never heard anywhere in the North of England, the South West or the Midlands. The experience of living in London definitely made me appreciate Scotland much more than I did before.
Slightly off-topic, but I must stay I really hate the use of the word 'Fisking' (after Andrew Sullivan's line by line criticism of a Robert Fisk column)- it's one of the most annoying bits of internet slang.
Fisk is a decent and humane man, and a great writer, and the lazy use of his name for any criticism of a text, just because the reactionary Sullivan disagreed with him, is really annoying.
Anyway... I agree with everything you wrote, apart from that!
Totally agree Luke. I didn't realise that was the background, just thought it was a common verb.
I can't say I'd like my surname being flung around in such s manner so I've amended to "dismantle" and will endeavour to fight the good fight from here on in.
Listen to this, first broadcast last night, Any Questions from Sutton Coldfield on Radio 4.
The IED is towrds the end concerning the release of Al Megrahi and the suicide bomber is Baroness Deech, who claims to be half Scottish.
This deserves to be circulated within Scottish Legal Circles and the SNP cabinet.
Utterly rabidly disgraceful and even ore so is Eddie Mair silence.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00tdxpr
FOCs
G, sounds like a torrid hour you had there. It'll be interesting to see if it continues over any other issue that arises. I'm sure my growing prickliness on the matter will spill over into a full blown rammy sooner or later.
Perhaps not on Westminster Hour though.
Here's a thought, Scotland needs a political representative on the UK stage and now that Brown has gone I would argue that it is Salmond who is the most influential figure and best placed to change negative perceptions. By all accounts he was very good on Sky News yesterday morning.
I've done a couple of stints in London, but it isn't for me. The level of casual anti-Scottish racism is astonishing, at first, but eventually I just felt sorry for them. The pish you read in the Standard/Telegraph/Mail is the most irritating thing - replacing 'Scot' with 'black' or 'Jew' in their editorials would lead to instant outcry, but anti-Scottish racism passes without remark.
Of course, this sort of thing is seldom commented on by the Scottish media, so desperate are they to hang on to their beloved union....
Living in London cemented my long-standing belief in independence for Scotland - are you beginning to feel your inner Nat, Jeff?!
CC
Cassius, it definitely makes me question how people view Scotland and change the status quo. I find myself speaking up for the food we have available, the less known culinary skills and the sights to be seen. Also defending Holyrood an awful lot. I think living in London could definitely stir an inner Nat quite easily.
Funnily enough, I was chatting to a mate down here yesterday who said he joined the SNP for that very reason.
Jeff, I am a long time reader of your blog but this is the first time I have been prompted to post something. I just want to thank you for taking the effort to post your views, your anger and your passion for Scotland. It feels like a strange time just now in Scottish politics. We are eight or so months away from the general election and I feel the SNP needs to wake up. Labour have been active and campaigning in their target constituencies for months. Perhaps some of your anger and passion can help kickstart the SNP!
Best wishes to you and keep fighting.
Tom
Thanks for posting the comment Tom, glad you think along same lines.
I agree the snp appear a little sluggish at the moment, it'd be nice to see more communication of their achievements to date, but if they pull out a tiptop manifesto and Salmond is on top form then I think May may not be quite as bad as currently feared.
(Ministers should, however, consider whether devolved powers as they now stand risk embarrassing and weakening the UK again in future.)i
Could you imagine Cameron trying to take back some powers? It would be our quickest route to independence :D
If you wish to listen to a bigotted panel 36mins in.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00tdxpr/b00tdxf5/Any_Questions_20_08_2010/
Any lawyers out there.
Way hay ,and heres me thinking you had gone native and forgot your roots.
Lest we forget, Baroness Deech was a Governor of the BBC, 2002-2006.
The name-calling and wilfull ignorance, of themselves, are merely an irritant.
It's what they are indicative of that chills me to the core.
That these views seem prevalent in London,the seat of our Government, doesn't surprise me - what does, however, is the legitimizing of them. No longer to be said out of the side of the mouth but to be blasted from the roof-tops.
The views of this priviliged metropolitan elite shape, to a totally disproportionate extent, the actions of every UK Govt.
Is it any wonder then, that generally, the further away (politically and geographically) you are from this 'motherland', the poorer your circumstances become?
Govt and Bank of England economic policy is made with little reference to anywhere furth of the M25 and the further you are away from this nourishing 'mother London', the fewer and fewer the drips of comfort become.
This is why Scotland will never realise its potential within the union.
Scotland doesn't suffer alone of course - but we have an 'out'. We have much of the infrastructure of an independent country already in place.
Scotland ran a fiscal surplus last year, you know. An independent Scotland would NOT require the multi-generational draconian cutbacks being put in place by the UK Govt.
P.S. Like many an 'umble and genial Scot Jeff, it won't be too long before you look soberly at this piece and start to let the 'inner cringe' eat at its substance.
Listened to the offending prog CH.
I'm appalled BUT unionists in Scotland (apparently the vast majority) will not be.
'...while Cameron is within his rights to disagree with MacAskill's decision, which was taken in good faith and for the right reasons, he does not have the right to unequivocally label a meticulously undertaken decision something that that it patently is not.'
Eh?
Cameron can disagree with the decision to release Megrahi, but not actually articulate that by saying it's a mistake?
Not really with you there. You see, there's quite a lot of people - including the majority of Scots, if polls are to be believed - that think that the release was indeed a 'mistake'.
As for 'taken in good faith': That phrase is being used more and more when someone's made a mistake and can't man up and admit it - instead seeking to blame the info at hand rather than their own judgement.
Couldn't be bothered to read the rest of your post. Frankly, it started off like one of the cyber-nat rants of old, and should really have been posted in green text.
But I undersatnd you've got a bit of a bee in your bonnet about the way the Scots' Gov is being treated?
Given the way the whole thing got dumped on Brown's lap at the time, I'd say it's the SNPs turn tbh.
Spot on Jeff. A classic. Michael
Well said Jeff but I don't think too many people with an IQ over 15 would take what the Evening Standard says seriously.
From what I can gather it tends to be the thicker readership who reads that sort of junk.
Anyway the poll results you were on about are available.
http://www.snp.org/node/17245
When I lived in London and people enquired what I as a Scot was doing there I used to reply 'Missionary Work'. I feel another crusade coming on..
Having listened to the R4 programme we must feel sorry for these members of the chattering classes none of whom would have been fit to lick Jimmy Reid's boots.
But also remember as 'voiceofourown' said they are 'the privileged metropolitan elite (who) shape, to a totally disproportionate extent, the actions of every UK Govt'
I enjoyed this post thoroughly, particularly because it is also a rebuttal to remarks made on the 'Any Questions' show on Friday. I listen a lot to Radio 4 and its output is cultured and balanced in the main. However, every so often a veil slips and a broadcast gives sight of the narrowest form of English nationalism. Douglas Murray and Baroness Deech really worry me because they are not yobs off the street. Deech in particular has a CV which I would have thought needed a more temperate and intelligent approach than she actually displayed. During the programme both Murray and Deech moved on from giving gratuitous offence to Muslims to giving gratuitous offence to Scots. They confirm my impression that much stupidity lurks in high places in England.
I moved to London three weeks ago and am a little surpised at the level of ignorance about Scotland. To Londoners, Scotland's a wet, backward land where nobody goes except written-out Eastenders characters. I guess they don't benefit from learning about the culture, history and politics of the whole of the British Isles like we do.
Even my Arabic-Turkish partner - who never had time for my SNP sympathies - says she feels 'Scottish' now (and also says the NHS is far better organised in Scotland - so well done NS and co!)
Time we stopped expecting London to care and ran our own affairs. If not, the UK ministers will just continue to make bad decisions and embarrass us on the world stage (Iraq, anyone?)
lol Jeff, is that you?
All these months of studied carefulness and outrageous even handedness and you unleash your inner Scot. Just brilliant.
I can just hear Kezia telling George "Isn't it ghastly? Jeff Breslin's gone rogue"
Sorry, i lost the will to live when it started sneering at Devolution. After all, it's not as if big countries like Germany or Spain are saddled with having to hand over powers to "toy town" polititians.
Oh, thats right they do have Devolution don't they.
But what do you expect from people who think the world ends at the outside lane of the M25.
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