Kenny MacAskill's Dilemna

I try not to stray into politics, but the cant and hypocrisy flying around today drove me to this.

Any decision the Scottish Government's Justice Minister reached in the case of the Lockerbie bomber was going to be criticised from one direction or another.

Watching Megrahi board his plane stuck in the craw - but the decision to let him do so was was right and brave. Megrahi showed no compassion - the destruction of all those lives was an act of callous cowardice; we need waste no time expecting compassion from mass murderers. The vast majority of the people of Scotland, however, are good people, and Mr MacAskill represented that characteristic in reaching his decision - to do the right thing, even if it is likely to prove unpopular. Doing the right thing isn't always easy.

Ultimately, we will not beat the killers, terrorists and the callous by behaving like them - we must behave better than them and show an example. Mr MacAskill has done this today.

Well done, Mr MacAskill - I hope you are able to end this difficult day relaxed and happy, you deserve to. Have a good dinner, a nice whisky and a good night's sleep.

Mr Megrahi does not deserve his freedom, and I wish him no joy in it, although I hope it is some comfort to his family. Meanwhile, he had better prepare to meet his Maker. I trust he does not have long to wait.