STOP ARMS HYPOCRISY
Labour’s call to PM as Saudi deals rise by £1.4bn
BORIS Johnson must end arms sales to Saudi Arabia instead of increasing them.
That’s the call from Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy who has blasted the PM’S “hypocrisy” in pursuing peace talks over Yemen while it’s hit by bombs and missiles we sell to the Saudis.
She tore into Mr Johnson as official figures show a £1.4billion RISE in weapons deals with the kingdom which is supporting the western backed Yemen government in a civil war.
Her attack follows President Biden’s decision to end US support for the Saudis’ military involvement in what is seen as the world’s worst humanitarian disaster. UK arms sales to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the last five years now top £6.7billion – while the Government insists it is pursuing peace in talks with him and at the United Nations where it has special responsibility for Yemen. Nandy said: “Boris Johnson can’t be arms dealer and peacemaker.
“It’s utter hypocrisy.
“The shameful policy of continuing to sell arms to Saudi Arabia has opened a rift with the Biden administration, leaving us increasingly isolated from the wider international community.”
More than 8,570 civilians have died in 22,600 air attacks in the six-year conflict.
Our Tornado and Typhoon planes as well as missiles are used in Yemen where children are now targeted in sniper attacks from the Houthi opposition.
Martin Butcher, conflict adviser at Oxfam, said: “This increase in licences is immoral. Once again UK politicians have put profit before Yemeni lives.”
Campaign Against the Arms Trade’s Sam Perlo-freeman said: “Instead of using its role at the UN to work for an end to this horrific war, the UK Government sustains it through arms sales.”
The Department of Trade, which oversees such deals, insisted: “The UK is deeply concerned by the conflict in Yemen. We are leading efforts to secure a political solution to end it.”
CORRIE legend Beverley Callard reckons bosses may kill off her character now she has definitely called time on the soap.
The actress, 63, quit playing feisty barmaid Liz Mcdonald after 30 years as a cobbles fave.
She was meant to film her exit last year but a hip problem put her out of action. And after her I’m A Celeb stint, she decided she did not want to return for a last hurrah in Weatherfield.
She said: “I think Liz may well die. They did say when I handed my notice in, ‘We’re not going to kill Liz, we do want you to come back’. But now I’ve made that decision I don’t want to go back, they may kill her offscreen.” Bev is now looking forward to getting her life back, saying: “I don’t want to be working 12 hours a day, 48 weeks a year. I want more time to be me.
“I had time to contemplate and I decided this time I’d say never again. I need more time to be me and do other things. It feels empowering. We spend our lives more often than not doing what we’re told at work. I don’t want to do that any more.”
Talking at the launch of celebrity agent Melanie Blake’s book Ruthless Women, she said a move to more explosive plots also swayed her decision. Bev said: “We all love the interaction between characters and that doesn’t happen as much now.”