MSP lodges motion to recognise The National’s arms exports series

A MOTION has been submitted in the Scottish Parliament to recognise The National’s series on arms firms receiving public money in Scotland.

Scottish Greens MSP Ross Greer lodged the motion and noted the involvement of national economic development agency Scottish Enterprise in giving public money to arms firms.

The series explored who was profiting from arms sales amidst the continued bombardment of Gaza and the UK Government’s refusal to halt arms sales to Israel.

The full motion submitted by Greer says: “That the Parliament welcomes the investigation undertaken by The National newspaper into arms firms receiving public money in Scotland; notes with concern the reported finding that Scottish Enterprise has provided at least £8.2 million of public money since 2019 in the form of support grants to 13 different companies that, it considers, are complicit in arms manufacturing and dealing; understands that, since Scottish Enterprise introduced a procedure of human rights due diligence checks on any company being considered for public grants, over 200 checks have been conducted, but that none have so far failed on these grounds, despite companies in receipt of funding reportedly being complicit in the manufacturing of weapons used routinely by the Israeli military in what it sees as its ongoing genocide against civilians in Gaza position than a blood-soaked White House should be a source of huge shame.”

Yesterday, Cameron insisted that the UK was in a different situation to the US because the Tory government does not supply weapons directly.

O’Hara said that this line, when it was used by Rishi Sunak on Wednesday, “demonstrated either a complete lack of understanding or a deliberate attempt at misleading”.

The UK Government does not directly hand weapons to Israel, but it has absolute control over all arms exports from its shores. and the West Bank, and backs the calls of Campaign Against the Arms Trade for the Scottish Government to end any funding of weapons development at once.”

The National’s editor Laura Webster welcomed the recognition in Holyrood.

She said: “We are grateful to see our work on arms exports recognised at a parliamentary level. The National has put lots of work into revealing truths about the UK’s weapons industry that other outlets would rather avoid.

“Our series, which all of our reporters and many contributors worked on, was a great example of how journalists can use their platform for good – and we are very proud of what was produced.”