Government Urged To End Arms Sales To Saudi Arabia Amid Yemen Conflict

The UK Government must end arms sales to Saudi Arabia and stop sustaining the civil war in Yemen, a Labour shadow minister has said.

After an urgent question on the matter from Conservative former minister Tobias Ellwood, shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy said the Government “cannot be both peacemaker and arms dealer”.

It follows President Joe Biden's announcement that the United States was ending support for the Saudi-led military offensive in Yemen.

The United Kingdom is the second-largest global defence exporter behind the United States of America, according to data released in 2020.

Ms Nandy urged Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to stop arms exports immediately and told the Commons: "We are not a bystander to this conflict.

"UK arms, training and technical support sustains the war in Yemen and the worst humanitarian disaster in the world.

"More than 80% of Saudi’s arms imports come from the US and the UK, so the US’s decision to end all support for offensive operations including relevant arms sales is welcome, but it leaves the UK dangerously out of step with our allies and increasingly isolated."

She continued: "What is worse is that the UK is the penholder for Yemen at the UN – we cannot be both peacemaker and arms dealer in this conflict."

Conservative chairman of the Defence Select Committee Mr Ellwood said the UK should hold a summit on bringing an end to the civil war in Yemen and commit troops to a UN peacekeeping mission that may follow a halt to the conflict.

In response, Foreign Office minister James Cleverly said the UK’s commitment to bringing an end to the war in Yemen was "unwavering".

"We will continue to work with our international partners, both the United States and also regional partners, to bring this about."

Mr Cleverly said he had "noted" the idea of a UK summit, but said he couldn’t commit to it "at this moment", also adding it would be "inappropriate" to speculate on what military intervention would look like.

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also urged ministers to stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia and asked Mr Cleverly if he will accept "there is a serious and huge humanitarian disaster in Yemen" with "80% of the population" in need of aid.

"Britain’s contribution over the last five years has been to sell billions of pounds worth of arms to Saudi Arabia and logistical equipment that have been used to bomb Yemen," he said.

Mr Corbyn also asked if Mr Cleverly would welcome the move from the UN envoy for Yemen to visit Iran for the first time in efforts to end the ongoing conflict.

In response, Mr Cleverly said he didn’t "remember recently hearing him criticising Iran for their support with weapons to the Houthis", so Mr Corbyn’s "criticisms of this Government’s actions" lack weight.

Cover image: PA.