Gordon Brown denies 'double dealing' over Lockerbie bomber

Gordon Brown on Wednesday sought to defuse the row about his role in the release of the man accused of the Lockerbie bombing by saying he respected the decision taken in Edinburgh and that there was no double-dealing by the British government. The prime minister, who has been strongly criticised for failing to say whether or not he supported the decision taken by the Scottish government last month to release Abdelbaset al-Megrahi from jail, said earlier on Wednesday that he respected the Scottish government's decision to release Abdelbaset al-Megrahi from jail. The final decision to free the bomber was taken by the Scottish government and UK ministers did not seek to influence it, he said. There was no conspiracy, no cover-up, no double-dealing, no deal on oil, no attempt to instruct Scottish ministers, no private assurances by me to Colonel Gaddafi, Brown told an audience in Birmingham in brief remarks before the launch of a youth employment initiative.