Britain increases arms exports to world’s most repressive regimes by nearly a third since Brexit vote Britain has dramatically increased the value of weaponry and defence equipment it sells to the world’s most repressive regimes since […]

Britain has dramatically increased the value of weaponry and defence equipment it sells to the world’s most repressive regimes since vows by senior ministers to expand arms exports after the Brexit vote.

Figures seen by i show that the Government cleared export licences worth £2.9bn in the 12 months after June 2016 to 35 countries considered “not free” by Freedom House, a respected international think-tank. The figure represents a 28 per cent increase on the 12 months before the Brexit vote.

Human rights

Among the countries to which ministers have given the green light for military equipment sales are Equatorial Guinea, considered to be one of the most corrupt and repressive countries in the world. Licences worth £1m were also granted for Azerbaijan, accused by human rights campaigners of conducting a vicious campaign against freedom of expression, while Uzbekistan, which is rated by Freedom House as one of the least free countries in the world, was granted a licence to import military vehicle components worth nearly £200,000.

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The Government has singled out arms sales as a priority area for Britain’s post-Brexit trade push.

Prior to his resignation last year, former Defence Secretary Michael Fallon vowed at the world’s largest arms fair in London that Britain would “spread its wings across the world” with increased weaponry and equipment sales. The Government insists that the UK has “robust” measures in place to allow “ethical defence exports” which are worth £5.9bn a year to the British economy.

‘Sales to tyrants’

But campaigners claim that official figures for defence export licences raise worrying questions that Britain is “prioritising arms sales to tyrants” as it seeks new markets abroad.

Much of the increase in sales to authoritarian countries is accounted for by a £1.1bn deal signed with Oman last June for combat aircraft and components.

But the data shows that the UK also granted licences to sell tear gas to the Gulf country, which is accused of cracking down on freedom of assembly, as well as anti-riot equipment to Thailand and crowd control ammunition to the United Arab Emirates.

Saudi Arabia

Despite a military coup in Thailand in 2014 and subsequent criticism of heavy-handed army control, UK military exports to the country quadrupled to £16m last year. Britain biggest single export market remains Saudi Arabia, with licences worth £1.12bn granted last year amid continuing condemnation of British weaponry by the kingdom in its bombing campaign in Yemen.

The Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), which collated the figures, said the Government, including Prime Minister Theresa May, was courting favour with authoritarian regimes at the expense of human rights.

Andrew Smith, CAAT spokesman, said: “Theresa May has talked about building a ‘global Britain’ but it can’t be one that willingly ignores human rights abuses and prioritises arms sales to tyrants.

“The UK’s post-Brexit future has to aspire to better than exporting weapons and war. These arms sales could have devastating consequences for years to come. How low will the Government sink in order to build its political and trading relationships?”

Freedom index

The data, based on official Government figures, shows Britain increased its exports to 17 out 35 countries considered by Freedom House to be “not free” when judged against human rights criteria. Uzbekistan is rated as scoring three out of 100 on the organisation’s freedom index, while Equatorial Guinea is rated at eight. The UK scores 95.

Among the largest arms sales increases was a doubling to £31m of export licences to Bahrain, which has been criticised for its repression of pro-democracy protests, and a year-on-year increase of £90m in sales to the UAE.

In several cases, the exports were granted for humanitarian reasons. Licences worth £900,000 for South Sudan, in the grip of a vicious tribal conflict last year, were for protective equipment to enable United Nations and NGO personnel to operate in the country. Of the £21m of exports to Afghanistan, some £14m was for equipment to detect terrorist bombs, while the majority of the £1.5m of firearms and equipment approved for Djibouti was for anti-piracy operations.

Military ties

But critics argue Britain is turning a blind eye to abuses in some of its export markets.

Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle, a member of the select committee on arms control exports, told i: “The Government’s back of the envelope post Brexit industrial policy is to have Liam Fox drum up as much new international business for UK arms manufacturers as possible.

“But with the UK’s broken arms export control regime, this so-called strategy further erodes human rights and global security. In value, Britain’s arms exports are worth about the same as its exports in beverages. This plan is less a plan for improving British public finances in the wake of Brexit but more one for lining the pockets of the shareholders of British arms dealers. It is another policy designed to benefit the few over the many.”

Britain has also been reinforcing its military ties with the controversial leadership in countries including Turkey and the Philippines. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox this weekend visited Turkey, with which Britain signed a £100m military aircraft deal last year despite concerns about thousands of arrests following the failed coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

When Mr Fox’s Department for International Trade was created in the wake of the Brexit vote, the Government said he will “personally lead on helping the defence and security industries to export”. “According to trade body ADS, Britain’s defence industry generates £23bn a year, of which £5.9bn is exports.

‘Robust export controls’

In a statement, the Department for International Trade said: “The UK Government takes its export control responsibilities very seriously and operates one of the most robust export control regimes in the world.

“Each licence application is rigorously assessed against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, which require us to consider the impact of providing equipment and its capabilities – risks around human rights abuses are a key part of our assessment. We will not grant a licence unless the exports are consistent with these criteria.”