Jim McCluskey has had this letter published in the Richmond and Twickenham Times of 28 March 2014:
Business Secretary, local MP, Vince Cable has a long and shameful record of supporting arms dealers. His Department sponsors trade fairs so UK Companies can sell weapons to some of the world’s most repressive regimes. Dr Cable has overseen the signing of export licences for weapons that have been used against protesters in Bahrain and Egypt. Now things have moved closer to home with Esher-based Beechwood Equipment, in the past responsible for promoting the sale of illegal leg irons, gang chains, shackles and shackle bracelets, exhibiting at this week’s Security and Policing Fair at Farnborough; an event sponsored by Vince Cable’s Department.
Dr Cable has tried to justify selling arms to the repressive regime in Saudi Arabia by declaring that if we did not sell them arms then someone else would. This is not a plea that would be greeted favourably by a judge in the case of a bank robber, for example (If he didn’t rob the bank someone else would!). All such appalling transactions take place under the heading of the ‘defense’ industry. The only people the Saudi Princes are likely to need to defend themselves against are their own citizens when the Arab Spring inevitably reaches that part of the Middle East.
Just what will it take to persuade our local MP to return to the principles he once espoused in opposition?
Jim McCluskey
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