Alba Party call for end of UK Sale of Bombs built in Scotland being sold to Saudi Arabia

ALBA Party Westminster Leader Neale Hanvey MP has called on the UK Government to cease the sale of armaments built in Scotland being sold to Saudi Arabia.

Mr Hanvey says that Scottish Defence workers should not be used to construct weapons that are then sold to the Saudi Arabian Kingdom.

The conflict in Yemen has drawn attention to UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has been accused of committing violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) during its military operations in Yemen.

The UK is not a member of the Saudi-led Coalition but Saudi armed forces are using UK built and licenced arms in Yemen, including Typhoon aircraft, missiles and bombs.

The Typhoon can be armed with air to air missiles such as Sidewinders, air to ground missiles such as Storm Shadow and bombs including the Paveway IV, all of which are manufactured or assembled at Defence Munitions Beith, North Ayrshire in Scotland.

The United Kingdom is the world’s second largest arms exporter to Saudi Arabia after the United States.

Since the start of the Saudi led coalitions intervention in Yemen there have been over 100 air strikes that have resulted in the death of civilians.

Mr Hanvey says that the new year must bring with it a renewed drive for peace. He has hit out at the UK Government’s “blatant profiteering from war and suffering” as he called for the UK Government to instead boost its international aid budget to support the end of conflict and to restore peace in Yemen.

Commenting Alba Party Westminster Leader Neale Hanvey said:

“For too long now the UK Government has been allowed to profiteer on the back of suffering in Yemen.

“In Scotland we believe that our armed forces should be used to defend our land, our shores and to support peace efforts where possible. It is time for the UK Government to come clean about its weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and set out how many weapons have been built in Scotland which have then been sold to Saudi Arabia. It is time for an immediate end to this practice.

“The Tories have decimated the UK international aid budget but instead of exporting weapons, which can only prolong conflict, the UK Government should be increasing funding to international aid so that we can play our part in promoting peaceful settlements in area of conflict in the world.“