Browns Silence

brownhandsWhy is Gordon Brown silent? Yesterday’s Herald newspaper, wrote:

“Speaking from a hospital bed at his home in Tripoli, Megrahi talked extensively about his 10-year battle with the Scottish legal system and insisted he did not commit the worst terrorist act on mainland Britain.

Saif al Islam al Gaddafi claimed the proposed prisoner transfer deal with Britain had targeted Megrahi and was linked to talks on trade and oil, but that his release on compassionate grounds was completed unrelated to commerce.” Read the full article here.

This is the simple truth, and when the truth comes out about 1) Megrahi’s innocence and subsequent miscarriage of justice and 2) the British States routine embroilement in international subterfuge and covert bartering for oil and filthy lucre the grin will be wiped off Mandelsons face and the whole episode may yet become Brown and New Labours final hour. The almost universal derision and glee with which the press currently report the aftermath of MacAskills decision may yet take a different turn.

Comments (8)

Leave a Reply to DougtheDug Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

  1. DougtheDug says:

    Why is Gordon Brown silent?

    I think it is probably more related to his personality than his politics. Even before the 2007 Scottish elections he was nicknamed “MacAvity” on the right wing blogs for his tendency to disappear when the going got rough.

    He just confirmed this in 2007 when the SNP beat Labour when he disappeared for a week. I remember waiting in gleeful anticipation on the Friday to see what he would say but only Blair came on TV to put a brave face on it. Brown was gone till he resurfaced at PM’s Questions the following Thursday grinning and nodding like an idiot beside Tony. I loathed Tony Blair but at least he had the balls to stand up in front of the cameras when the Government had taken a blow.

    Talking of “universal derision and glee” the BBC was trumpeting their poll last night about how 60% of Scots think it was a bad decision but it’s fallen of Teletext now as it is totally out of kilter with the DailyMail/YouGov and Reuters/Ipso MORI polls which show an almost even split.

    I posted 4 comments on Brians latest blog about it.

    Comments 15, 94, 204 and 230.

    1. bellacaledonia says:

      Thanks Doug. It’s interesting to see the attempt to hold the mutually incompatible view that the Megrahi decision was taken for political expediency, at the same time as rubbishing them for a hugely unpopular decision.

  2. naldo says:

    I don’t understand why you ask the qusestion about Brown’s silence. The decision to release Al-Megrahi was made by the Scottish Justice Secretary in accordance with the principles and precedents of Scots Law.

    The process had nothing whatsoever to do with Gordon Brown and his silence on the matter reflects far better on him and his party than does David Cameron’s attempts to score political points by adding his ignorant and partisan comments.

    I wish we could always rely on Westminster politicains to keep their gobs shut on matters for the Holyrood Parliament.

  3. bellacaledonia says:

    I ask because I think there’s more about his silence than personality as Doug reckons. If, as many are speculating (and Jack Straws comments suggest) the release was in the British States view tied to oil deals, then its something they’ll be trying to cover up.

  4. Scunnert says:

    Brown got what he wanted – although for different reasons – so why say anything? Let Kenny get roasted in the media, both here and in the US, while enjoying a little success. Life is good.

  5. bellacaledonia says:

    Its put well by Gerry Hassan on Our Kingdom here: http://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/gerry_hassan/libyagate

  6. Alex Buchan says:

    I’m surprised nobody has mentioned the reports in the press that this was all part of a strategy. I’m not sure if it originated with Gary Gibbon, but he certainly commented on how the narrow margin in polls on reaction in Scotland to Megrahi’s release vindicated this strategy.

    It went something like this: the silence is part of a Labour strategy to let the party in the Scottish Parliament take the lead in criticising the decision. It seems Murphy wanted to have a go but was restrained. The thinking behind it was that by staying silent they would stop MacAskill being cast as plucky David against the British Government as overbearing Goliath.

    Have to say that, like many of the strategies coming out of Brown Central, it betrays an inability of Brown’s close advisors to tell him just how bad all this scheming and calculating comes across with the voters.

  7. Alex Buchan says:

    I’m surprised nobody has mentioned the reports in the press that this was all part of a strategy. I’m not sure if it originated with Gary Gibbon, but he certainly commented on how the narrow margin in polls on reaction in Scotland to Megrahi’s release vindicated this strategy.

    It went something like this: the silence is part of a Labour strategy to let the party in the Scottish Parliament take the lead in criticising the decision. It seems Murphy wanted to have a go but was restrained. The thinking behind it was that by staying silent they would stop MacAskill being cast as plucky David against the British Government as overbearing Goliath.

    Have to say that, like many of the strategies coming out of Brown Central, it betrays an inability of Brown’s close advisors to tell him just how bad all this scheming and calculating comes across with the voters.

Help keep our journalism independent

We don’t take any advertising, we don’t hide behind a pay wall and we don’t keep harassing you for crowd-funding. We’re entirely dependent on our readers to support us.

Subscribe to regular bella in your inbox

Don’t miss a single article. Enter your email address on our subscribe page by clicking the button below. It is completely free and you can easily unsubscribe at any time.