Arms exports increase by twenty-eight per cent since the Brexit vote
Significant increase in arms exports
Britain has dramatically increased the value of weaponry and defence equipment it sells to the world’s most repressive regiments since Brexit, the Independent’s sister newspaper i has claimed.
According to the newspaper, the increase follows vows by senior minsters to expand arms exports after the Brexit vote. Government figures i claim to have seen show that the government cleared export licenses worth £2.9 billion in the twelve months after June 2016 to thirty-five countries considered ‘not free’ by Freedom House, ‘a respected international think-tank’. The figure is a twenty-eight per cent increase on the twelve months before the Brexit vote.
The government said it has one of the most ‘robust export control regimes in the world’.
Comments
I find it very sad that, despite the excellent work of the Campaign against the Arms Trade, backed by QPSW and other organisations, there seems to be no appetite among the general public to curb the arms trade, especially to oppressive regimes. It’s hard to know what to do.
By hanmorrow on 12th February 2018 - 21:07
Please login to add a comment
