There is a leaked internal email, apparently authenticated, concerning the ongoing negotiations between London and Edinburgh - in essence, the SNP had said they would like two legislative changes from London in exchange for releasing Megrahi. The SNP wanted control over gun laws (which are UK-wide, set from London) and a way out of the huge compensation bill they faced over the "slopping out" court cases ... they got the second change they wanted, and then released Megrahi.

The worrying thing for me really is the government in London influencing Scotland to release Megrahi, rather than opposing his release or at least remaining neutral. I felt from the outset that Megrahi should have faced the death penalty rather than life in prison; waiving the death penalty and making it a Scottish court rather than American was, perhaps, a necessary compromise - but him leaving jail alive should never have been an option.