LONDON (Reuters) — The row over Britain’s relations with Libya took a new turn on Sunday as Gordon Brown denied he had shied away from pressing Tripoli to compensate families of IRA victims who say Libya supplied the guerrillas with arms.

Lawyers and campaigners for victims’ families accused Prime Minister

Brown of putting trade before justice after letters emerged suggesting he feared rocking improving relations.

They said it was evidence Brown’s main concern was to not jeopardize Tripoli’s growing trade ties and support for the war on terrorism, a charge his office strongly denied.

In two letters addressed to the victims’ lawyer Jason McCue last year, released by the prime minister’s office on Sunday, Brown said he had not considered it “appropriate’’ to discuss claims for compensation over arms sent to the IRA.

He said growing trade relations were not the “core reason’’ for his decision, but acknowledged warming trade links did form part of a new relationship with Tripoli.

LOCKERBIE
Brown’s government is already under fire over the early release of the man convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie airliner bombing. It denies pressing the Scottish government to free him in the interests of fostering better relations with Tripoli.

Last year campaigners met Brown seeking cash payments from Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who they say shipped Semtex explosives in the 1980s and 1990s to republican bombers fighting to end British rule of Northern Ireland.

Lawyers representing victims’ families have evidence the plastic explosives were used in a series of IRA bomb attacks, according to the Sunday Times newspaper.

The campaign for cash settlements follows out-of-court deals agreed by Libya with three American victims of IRA bombings.

Jeffrey Donaldson of Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist party said Brown had done less for victims than US leaders.

“There are between 4,000 and 5,000 victims altogether associated with this case and we believe the government has an obligation to speak up for those victims,’’ he told Sky news.

“And if the government deems it right to show compassion for the Lockerbie bomber ... well what about some compassion for the victims of IRA terrorism whose lives were destroyed by explosives and arms supplied by the Libyan government?’’

Shadow foreign secretary William Hague for the main opposition Conservative Party told the same broadcaster the ‘’latest revelations are part of an ever-expanding farce’’. The Conservatives called for a full-scale inquiry.

In a letter sent to McCue, dated October 7 2008, Brown said: “The UK government does not consider it appropriate to enter into a bilateral discussion with Libya on this matter.’’