Labour vows to suspend Saudi arms sales

LABOUR would suspend arms sales to countries accused of human rights abuses, starting with Saudi Arabia, Jeremy Corbyn said as he promised a “foreign policy based on peace”.

Mr Corbyn, in his speech to the party’s conference, condemned the “repeated military interventions” by British governments.

He said they had fuelled the migrant crisis and led to the “spread of terrorism, sectarianism and violence” across the Middle East.

A handful of conference activists, including Tony Blair’s and former Scottish leader Jim Murphy’s ex-aide John McTernan, walked out in protest as Mr Corbyn defended his decision to apologise on behalf of the party for the Iraq war.

Mr Corbyn said: “As Europe faces the impact of a refugee crisis fuelled by wars across the Middle East, we have to face the role that repeated military interventions by British governments have played in that crisis.

“The Chilcot report made absolutely clear the lessons to be learned from the disastrous invasion and occupation of Iraq, just as this month’s Foreign Affair Select Committee report into the war in Libya demonstrated those lessons have still to be learned a decade later.

“The consequences of those wars have been the spread of terrorism, sectarianism and violence across an arc of conflict that has displaced millions of people, forcing them from their countries.

“That is why I believe it was right to apologise on behalf of the party for the Iraq war, right to say that we have learned the lessons and right to say that such a catastrophe must never be allowed to happen again.”

After the speech, shadow chancellor John McDonnell said he was not aware of anyone walking out: “What I did see is the whole of the hall rise up in a standing ovation for Jeremy.”