'SNP talked of deal for Megrahi'

Published on Wednesday 9 February 2011 19:06

JACK Straw has added his voice to claims that the Scottish Government had been prepared in 2007 to examine freeing the Lockerbie bomber in return for a deal on slopping out and devolving firearms legislation.

The former Labour Cabinet minister yesterday said he believed the Scottish justice secretary Kenny MacAskill was prepared to include Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi in a prisoner transfer agreement in return for Westminster help to prevent compensation claims from prisoners.

Mr Straw said: "He (Mr MacAskill) understandably saw an opportunity to get us to move on two things that they wanted in return for their acquiescence with the fact that I couldn't get a carve-out on Megrahi in the text on the PTA."

Scottish Tory leader Annabel Goldie said: "When senior former Cabinet ministers say that there was a deal being sought to free Britain's biggest mass murderer, simply claiming that there was a misunderstanding doesn't wash."

A spokesman for First Minister Alex Salmond said: "We must agree to disagree with Mr Straw… We sent eight letters to the UK government calling for a specific exclusion of Megrahi from the PTA."