The Real Cost Of The UK's Lucrative Arms Industry

That the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia share a special relationship - how that the term is in vogue - is not secret. This lucrative friendship, based in the exchange of oil for weapons, is more vibrant than ever with the war in Yemen. In fact, the UK has licensed about £3.3bn worth of weapons to the kingdom since the bombing of the Arab world's poorest nation began in March 2015. Meanwhile, the situation in Yemen is worsening every day, with over 10,000 deaths in 18 months of fighting, and a population teetering on the edge of famine.

This relationship might not only be unethical, but also illegal. In order to find out whether or not the UK has breached international humanitarian law, the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) has pushed a judicial review. The case follows concerns that a coalition of Saudi-led forces may have been deploying manufactured cluster bombs made in Britain. 

This example, and many others related to the UK's commercial ties with authoritarian regimes in the region like Qatar, Bahrain and Turkey, raises several questions about the arms industry and the UK's geopolitical strategy, especially on the verge of Brexit. According to Amnesty International, “Leaving the EU could lead to a flurry of new trade and investment agreements that will chart a path for decades to come.”