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| No bomber release cover-up - PM | No bomber release cover-up - PM |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said there was "no conspiracy" leading to the release of the Lockerbie bomber. | Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said there was "no conspiracy" leading to the release of the Lockerbie bomber. |
| He added there had also been "no cover-up" over the UK's dealings with the Scottish or Libyan governments. | He added there had also been "no cover-up" over the UK's dealings with the Scottish or Libyan governments. |
| The bomber, Libyan Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, was released last month by the Scottish government on compassionate grounds as he has terminal cancer. | |
| Meanwhile the BBC understands Megrahi has had chemotherapy and is now in a cancer ward at a hospital in Tripoli. | |
| As the controversy about his release continues, Mr Brown said there was "no linkage" between UK commercial interests and the decision to free him. | |
| But he said that the UK was constantly seeking to combat international terrorism and halt nuclear proliferation - both aims which were helped by Libya's return to the international fold. | But he said that the UK was constantly seeking to combat international terrorism and halt nuclear proliferation - both aims which were helped by Libya's return to the international fold. |
| 'No assurances' | 'No assurances' |
| Have Your Say It's a sad state of affairs when on the one occasion a politician does a decent thing, he is forced to prove that he has no ulterior motive. Ed, Edinburgh Read your comments | Have Your Say It's a sad state of affairs when on the one occasion a politician does a decent thing, he is forced to prove that he has no ulterior motive. Ed, Edinburgh Read your comments |
| Megrahi was freed earlier this month, eight years into a life sentence imposed for his part in the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie in December 1988, killing 270 people. | Megrahi was freed earlier this month, eight years into a life sentence imposed for his part in the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie in December 1988, killing 270 people. |
| The Scottish government, which deals with criminal justice matters in Scotland, said the decision had been made on compassionate grounds, as Megrahi has terminal cancer. | The Scottish government, which deals with criminal justice matters in Scotland, said the decision had been made on compassionate grounds, as Megrahi has terminal cancer. |
| PAN AM FLIGHT 103 21 Dec 1988: Plane explodes at 31,000ft 259 people on board are killed11 people killed on the ground in Lockerbie Timeline: Lockerbie bombing Read Nick Robinson's blog | PAN AM FLIGHT 103 21 Dec 1988: Plane explodes at 31,000ft 259 people on board are killed11 people killed on the ground in Lockerbie Timeline: Lockerbie bombing Read Nick Robinson's blog |
| But the release was opposed by the US government and Megrahi's return to Libya, amid triumphant scenes, caused widespread anger in the UK and US. | But the release was opposed by the US government and Megrahi's return to Libya, amid triumphant scenes, caused widespread anger in the UK and US. |
| On Tuesday, Scottish officials released a report saying a Libyan official had said Foreign Office minister Bill Rammell had told them Mr Brown did not want the Lockerbie bomber to die in a Scottish prison. | On Tuesday, Scottish officials released a report saying a Libyan official had said Foreign Office minister Bill Rammell had told them Mr Brown did not want the Lockerbie bomber to die in a Scottish prison. |
| Mr Rammell - and UK foreign secretary David Miliband - have since confirmed that this report was accurate. | Mr Rammell - and UK foreign secretary David Miliband - have since confirmed that this report was accurate. |
| Speaking in Birmingham, Mr Brown did not directly refer to the suggestion the Libyans had been told he did not want to see Megrahi die in a UK prison. | Speaking in Birmingham, Mr Brown did not directly refer to the suggestion the Libyans had been told he did not want to see Megrahi die in a UK prison. |
| But he said: "There was no conspiracy, no cover-up, no double dealing, no deal on oil, no attempt to instruct Scottish ministers, no private assurances by me to [Libyan leader] Colonel Gaddafi." | But he said: "There was no conspiracy, no cover-up, no double dealing, no deal on oil, no attempt to instruct Scottish ministers, no private assurances by me to [Libyan leader] Colonel Gaddafi." |
| He said the release of Megrahi was a matter for the Scottish government. | He said the release of Megrahi was a matter for the Scottish government. |
| Mr Brown also said: "Our interest throughout has been to strengthen the coalition against international terrorism. I made it clear that for us there was never a linkage between any other issue and the Scottish government's own decision about Megrahi's future." | Mr Brown also said: "Our interest throughout has been to strengthen the coalition against international terrorism. I made it clear that for us there was never a linkage between any other issue and the Scottish government's own decision about Megrahi's future." |
| 'Absolutely clear' | 'Absolutely clear' |
| Conservative leader David Cameron said Mr Brown's comments were unsatisfactory. | Conservative leader David Cameron said Mr Brown's comments were unsatisfactory. |
| He repeated his call for an inquiry to look into all discussions between UK and Libya about the Megrahi case, including Tony Blair's meeting with Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi in 2007 and Bill Rammell's visit to Libya in February. | He repeated his call for an inquiry to look into all discussions between UK and Libya about the Megrahi case, including Tony Blair's meeting with Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi in 2007 and Bill Rammell's visit to Libya in February. |
| "We cannot now trust the government to give us the information about what happened in this sorry saga," he said. | "We cannot now trust the government to give us the information about what happened in this sorry saga," he said. |
| It does not feel right to me that someone who has been convicted for an extremely serious offence be able to return...to Libya Jacqui Smith, Former Home Secretary | It does not feel right to me that someone who has been convicted for an extremely serious offence be able to return...to Libya Jacqui Smith, Former Home Secretary |
| The Liberal Democrats said Mr Brown had "felt able to share his feelings with a power-crazed dictator but not with the British people" and called for all minutes of meetings between Libyan and British ministers to be released. | The Liberal Democrats said Mr Brown had "felt able to share his feelings with a power-crazed dictator but not with the British people" and called for all minutes of meetings between Libyan and British ministers to be released. |
| Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill allowed Megrahi to be freed from Greenock Prison on 20 August on compassionate grounds after rejecting his return to Libya under a prisoner transfer agreement. | Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill allowed Megrahi to be freed from Greenock Prison on 20 August on compassionate grounds after rejecting his return to Libya under a prisoner transfer agreement. |
| Mr Brown and other UK ministers have declined to say whether they supported freeing Megrahi, stressing it was a decision for the Scottish government. | Mr Brown and other UK ministers have declined to say whether they supported freeing Megrahi, stressing it was a decision for the Scottish government. |
| BBC political correspondent Ross Hawkins said it was unlikely the prime minister would ever break his silence, given the sensitivities surrounding the subject. | BBC political correspondent Ross Hawkins said it was unlikely the prime minister would ever break his silence, given the sensitivities surrounding the subject. |
| During a debate in the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday, Scottish ministers were accused of mishandling the decision and making a mistake of "international proportions" by opposition parties. | During a debate in the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday, Scottish ministers were accused of mishandling the decision and making a mistake of "international proportions" by opposition parties. |
| 'Bad decision' | 'Bad decision' |
| But Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond said the details of the discussions between Libyan and British ministers about Megrahi's fate had left Labour looking "absolutely ridiculous". | But Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond said the details of the discussions between Libyan and British ministers about Megrahi's fate had left Labour looking "absolutely ridiculous". |
| Former home secretary Jacqui Smith has become the most senior Labour politician to criticise the decision to release Megrahi, saying it did not "feel right". | Former home secretary Jacqui Smith has become the most senior Labour politician to criticise the decision to release Megrahi, saying it did not "feel right". |
| FROM THE WORLD AT ONE More from the World At One | FROM THE WORLD AT ONE More from the World At One |
| While stressing she had not seen all the information in the case, she told the Jeremy Vine Show on BBC Radio 2 that she thought Megrahi's return to Libya was "bad". | While stressing she had not seen all the information in the case, she told the Jeremy Vine Show on BBC Radio 2 that she thought Megrahi's return to Libya was "bad". |
| "It does not feel right to me that someone who has been convicted for an extremely serious offence be able to return, in a way in which his victims were not able to, back to Libya. | "It does not feel right to me that someone who has been convicted for an extremely serious offence be able to return, in a way in which his victims were not able to, back to Libya. |
| "Of course we have to be compassionate with people who are in prison and coming to the end of their lives but I am not sure I would have made the same decision." | "Of course we have to be compassionate with people who are in prison and coming to the end of their lives but I am not sure I would have made the same decision." |
| But Ms Smith defended Gordon Brown's explanation of the government's position saying he had been "very clear" that it was a matter for the Scottish administration and that there had been no double-dealing or conspiracy. | But Ms Smith defended Gordon Brown's explanation of the government's position saying he had been "very clear" that it was a matter for the Scottish administration and that there had been no double-dealing or conspiracy. |
| Families of victims of the Lockerbie bombing say the political row is drawing attention away from the scale of the crime committed. | Families of victims of the Lockerbie bombing say the political row is drawing attention away from the scale of the crime committed. |
| "People are forgetting about what this is really about," Frank Duggan, from the Victims of Pan Am Flight 103, told the BBC. | "People are forgetting about what this is really about," Frank Duggan, from the Victims of Pan Am Flight 103, told the BBC. |
| "It is really about the murder of 270 people, the largest crime in the history of the UK." | "It is really about the murder of 270 people, the largest crime in the history of the UK." |