A "stench of cover-up and political manipulation" hangs over a controversial plan to transfer a Scottish prisoner to Northern Ireland, the former Northern Ireland minister, Mr Michael Ancram, said yesterday. The transfer of Jason Campbell, who was convicted of the murder of a Glasgow teenager two years ago, was originally approved by the British government last month, but later cancelled.
It had been approved following a request put to the Northern Ireland Office by the Progressive Unionist Party. Campbell claimed he was eligible for a transfer because members of his family were living in the North.
However, following fierce criticism that Campbell's transfer was simply being used as a political tool to even up the numbers with republican transfers, the Scottish Secretary, Mr Donald Dewar, reversed the decision. Pointing out that Campbell had lied and he did not have relatives in the North, Mr Dewar nonetheless accepted responsibility for the government's handling of the issue.
In the House of Commons yesterday, Mr Ancram, now Conservative constitutional spokesman, described the situation as "shoddy" and asked Mr Dewar to "come clean" over who took the original decision to transfer Campbell. In a heated exchange, Mr Ancram accused Mr Dewar of damaging the integrity of the Scottish legal system by his failure to answer the question.
Mr Dewar replied he did "regret" a more thorough consideration was not given to the issues but that as a result of the case the government would ensure ministerial consideration is given to all prison transfers.