The Herald reports:
MSPs have voted to criticise the decision to grant compassionate release to the dying man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, and to condemn the handling of the issue by Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill.
Labour, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats all supported each other’s amendments on the affair, making defeat for the Scottish Government inevitable, but for Labour it was a pyrrhic victory as revelations about Gordon Brown’s “respect” for the decision overshadowed events at Holyrood.
All 47 SNP members backed the Justice Secretary, as did both Green MSPs and Labour rebel Malcolm Chisholm. Tory MSP Ted Brocklebank, who made a friendly intervention during Mr Chisholm’s speech, chose to record no vote. The vote on the issue therefore went 73-50 against the government with Margo MacDonald the sole formal abstention and four non votes – the presiding officer and three absentees.
So, it would seem there is some dissatisfaction with MacAskill’s decision.
On the the other hand, the Libyans were very happy.
