Jeremy Corbyn’s spokesman says government has some complicity due to relationship with Saudis

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Labour has said the British government must be held partly responsible for civilian casualties in Yemen, after Jeremy Corbyn challenged Theresa May over the lavish welcome for the visiting Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.



The Labour leader used prime minister’s questions to accuse May of failing to stand up to the Saudis over human rights abuses and possible war crimes in Yemen.

May defended her links with Bin Salman, who will meet the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William, as well as senior ministers, during his three-day visit. She said engagement was the only way to have influence over the Saudis.

But Corbyn urged the prime minister to stop arms sales to Saudi Arabia over its intervention in Yemen, which has killed thousands of civilians and worsened a humanitarian catastrophe, and take the crown prince to task on human rights.



Speaking after PMQs, Corbyn’s spokesman expanded on Labour’s position, saying arms sales and the involvement of British military personnel provided a level of complicity over the situation in Yemen.

“Britain has not only increased arms supplies to Saudi Arabia dramatically since the start of the war, not only supports the war, as Theresa May said in the chamber just now, but British military personnel advise the Saudi air force and military on targeting – and so there is a direct involvement in the conduct of the war,” he said.



“Which as we know has led to very large numbers of civilian casualties and very clear evidence of the targeting of schools and hospitals. Very large numbers of children have been killed.

“British military personnel are in the operations rooms where these military and bombing campaigns are being conducted. If they’re trying to avoid civilian casualties, it’s been a disastrous failure.”

The spokesman said the apparent targeting of civilian infrastructure in Yemen, including hospitals and schools was a war crime. “It’s essential that it is stopped.”

Bin Salman, 32, has promised to liberalise Saudi society and allow more rights for women. However, he has also proved an authoritarian ruler, and his accession to power has coincided with increased Saudi involvement in Yemen.



Addressing May at PMQs, Corbyn said: “Despite much talk of reform, there’s been a sharp increase in the arrest and detention of dissidents; torture of prisoners is common; human rights defenders routinely sentenced to lengthy prison terms.



“Unfair trials and executions are widespread, as Amnesty International confirm. As she makes her arms sales pitch, will she also call on the crown prince to halt the shocking abuse of human rights in Saudi Arabia?”

May responded by citing security and anti-terrorist cooperation with the Saudis, and said she would raise rights concerns with Bin Salman.

On Yemen, Corbyn said Germany had halted arms sales to Saudi Arabia but UK sales had risen. “It cannot be right that her government is colluding in what the United Nations says is evidence of war crimes,” he said.

May said the government was increasing aid to Yemen, and pointed to a meeting she had with Bin Salman in Riyadh in December at which she demanded an end to the blockade of the Yemeni port of Hodeidah.

“I’m pleased to say that Saudi Arabia then did just that,” she said. “This vindicates the engagement that we have with Saudi Arabia, to be able to sit down with them.”

The rest of the pair’s Commons exchange was devoted to homelessness, a topic introduced by Corbyn with the question: “Why does the prime minister think that rough sleeping fell under Labour but has doubled under the Conservatives?”

May said the government was spending millions of pounds on the issue. In response to another question from Corbyn, she said a government rough-sleeping taskforce set up in November had met earlier on Wednesday.