So, Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi, the man convicted of murdering 270 people when Pan Am Flight 103 was blown up above Lockerbie, will shortly be winging his way home to Libya after serving just eight years of his life sentence.

Scottish Justice Secretary, Kenny MacAskill, announced al-Megrahi’s release earlier today on compassionate grounds so he can “return home to die” of terminal prostate cancer.

This announcement will meet heavy criticism from the US as Hilary Clinton among other senior politicians including Teddy Kennedy and John Kerry have already spoken out as al-Megrahi’s release would be “absolutely wrong”.

So is this Scotland’s attempt at flexing its muscles on the international stage, alerting the White House that the Scottish Parliament isn’t just an extension of No.10? Could this introduce a whole new aspect to our ‘special relationship’?

Whatever the answer MacAskill has proven Holyrood has teeth and isn’t afraid to bite.