Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Oil expenses paid
BLAMED for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, embroiled in a Yemen massacre and with a woeful human rights record, Saudi Arabia should be approached with caution by MPS.
But in fact 50 UK politicians have accepted junkets worth £320,000 to the Middle East kingdom since the Tories came to power in 2010. They include Theresa May’s parliamentary private secretary Seema Kennedy and MPS Kwasi Kwarteng and Leo Docherty.
And campaigners last night accused them of turning a blind eye to the Saudi regime’s atrocious behaviour because of the mega money deals in oil, arms and other goods between the countries.
There is already growing anger over Saudi bombing of Yemen, where thousands of innocent civilians have been killed, its persecution of political opponents, public executions and the alleged hacking to death of Mr Khashoggi.
One branded the cash lavished on the MPS for luxury hotels, business class flights and hospitality “blood money” and accused the Government of “collusion” over the Yemeni deaths.
On Monday members lined up in the Commons to condemn the Saudis over Mr Khashoggi’s murder. But those words now appear empty after the Mirror discovered gifts to Tories have risen 10-fold since the party came to power.
Andrew Smith, from Campaign Against The Arms Trade, said: “The Saudi regime has an appalling human rights record and has done for decades.
“Its abuses didn’t begin with the murder of Khashoggi, they began years ago, and Westminster has supported it every step of the way.
“For the last three and a half years it has inflicted a humanitarian catastrophe on Yemen. MPS should not be taking its blood money.”
Shadow Cabinet Office minister Jon Trickett: “This shows just how cosy the Tories are with the Saudi regime and helps explain why they’re so reluctant to speak out about human rights abuses and the war in Yemen.”
War on Want campaigner Ryvka Barnard added: “Some 13 million people in Yemen are facing starvation and thousands have been killed in relentless attacks by the Saudi-led coalition, fuelled by billions of pounds worth of British weapons exports.
“The UK’S export control policy, if properly applied, would result in a de facto arms embargo on Saudi Arabia because of war crimes committed by it.
“But weapons continue to flow because too many British politicians lack the political will to uphold the rules, stop the exports and end this violence. This isn’t just negligence, it’s collusion. MPS should be pressing the Government to end its complicity in the war crimes committed by the Saudi regime by suspending all arms exports to Saudi.”
Before the Tories came to power in 2010, the kingdom funded just seven trips for five MPS costing nearly £27,000.
But since then, 44 Conservatives
The regime has an appalling human rights record. MPS should not take its blood money ANDREW SMITH ARMS CAMPAIGNER