And another thing…

SIPPING water during last Thursday’s Scottish Politician of the Year Awards ceremony in Edinburgh (I was driving), there was some tension in the run-up to the announcement of the winner of the night’s main award. In fact I had already written (but not posted) a Tweet announcing: “Mahatmakaskill named Scottish Politician of the Year 2009 – even Nicola would have been an improvement!”

In the event, the very decent and well-liked John Swinney snatched the title. I’m sure MacAskill was philosophical about it; after all, if a “Higher Power” ordained it, there’s nothing he could do about it.

But as the case for the three nominees was being summarised from the stage, and footage of the Justice Minister announcing the release of Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi on the basis that he only had three months to live was shown, the Lord Foulkes MSP (Labour, Lothians) shouted from a sedentary position: “He’s still alive!”

Aye, there’s the rub.

Who knows how much longer the mass murderer has to live? The media are playing a rather sick game here, regularly reporting on the fact that Al-Megrahi hasn’t – yet – shuffled off this mortal coil to have his inevitable difficult conversation with that Higher Power. Now, I oppose capital punishment, and I do not want Al-Megrahi or anyone else to die (well, no-one that you have ever heard of, anyway). And neither does MacAskill.Yet Al-Megrahi’s continuing survival threatens the minister with embarrassment at best and the end of his career in government at worst.

I’m not doubting that the bomber is terminally ill. And neither do I believe he’s entered himself in the 2010 Tripoli Marathon. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear news any day that he’s succumbed to his illness.

But he shouldn’t have been released; he should have been allowed to die in prison – a very minor punishment, given the nature of his crime. MacAskill has assuaged his own conscience – of that I have no doubt. But the continued survival of Al-Megrahi must surely be the source of unpleasant dreams for Kenny MacAskill.

How Al-Megrahi appears in Kenny MacAskill's nightmares

Incidentally, the host of the event, the BBC’s Colin Mackay, came up with the best line of the night: “2009 was the Year of Homecoming, both here and in Libya.” It did sound rather familiar, mind you.

THE BARON Foulkes of Cumnock tells me of a particularly difficult constituency case he was faced with in his role as Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Lothians.

A concerned lady approached him to seek help on behalf of two friends (at least, I think they were friends) who had been detained unjustly by the police. The two individuals were Knights of the Round Table of good King Arthur. Apparently.

He’s an experienced pol, our George, and after a few seconds consideration, told the lady that the case might be best dealt with by someone with more experience in such matters. “I think you should raise the matter with the Director of Liberty, Shami Chakrabarti. Would you like me to give you the address?”