"Gordon Brown's govt was facing great criticism at home over the release of the convicted Lockerbie bomber"

The release fell into the lap of the UK government and though they almost certainly wanted it they had no control over it. The UK and Libyan governments wanted a prisoner release programme which was to include the bomber but the Scottish government was against the inclusion of the bomber in any prisoner releases, which put a dampener on it as the Scottish minister had jurisdiction not the minister at UK level. With the advent and worsening of the cancer then under Scots Law the bomber became eligible for release on compassionate grounds. Previously once it was shown someone qualified and the relevant agencies agreed no Scottish Secretary has ever refused a release - though MacAskill could have made a precedent because of the scale of the crime. The idea being thrown about that the Nationalist administration in Edinburgh would covertly aid the Labour administration in Westminster is more than a little unlikely. MacAskill is a lawyer and whether right or wrong he used due process. Brown seemed to have got what he wanted without involvement but of course it doesn't work like that. His refusing to comment and refusal to admit mechanisations at UK level doesn't sit well and makes Labour look ridiculous especially as they were, apart from one individual, condemning the release in the Scottish parliament.