Double Dealing
The decision of the last Labour government to cosy up to Colonel Gaddafi - now looks terribly ill-advised.
The process started under Tony Blair - but was taken up enthusiastically by his successor, Gordon Brown.
As Prime Minister, Gordon Brown pursued a secret policy of currying favour with the Libyan regime - with his covert support for releasing the Lockerbie bomber - while publicly distancing his party and government from the affair.
Dictators are normally associated with that kind of duplicity - not serious minded politicians with a fully functioning moral compass.
Whatever the present UK government has to say - about support for democracy and free speech - will be taken less seriously than it should because of our double dealing in the past.
The process started under Tony Blair - but was taken up enthusiastically by his successor, Gordon Brown.
As Prime Minister, Gordon Brown pursued a secret policy of currying favour with the Libyan regime - with his covert support for releasing the Lockerbie bomber - while publicly distancing his party and government from the affair.
Dictators are normally associated with that kind of duplicity - not serious minded politicians with a fully functioning moral compass.
Whatever the present UK government has to say - about support for democracy and free speech - will be taken less seriously than it should because of our double dealing in the past.
