G7 Open Letter Media Release

MEDIA RELEASE                03/06/2021 Embargoed until 00.01 Friday 4 June G7 Summit: The clock is ticking on the global military fulfilling its responsibility in reaching net-zero Academics, NGOs, activists and creatives support a call for G7 militaries to come clean on their carbon emissions ahead of COP 26 in Glasgow. Tipping Point North South’s Transform … Continue reading G7 Open Letter Media Release

Reassessing SIPRI’s military expenditure estimate for the United Kingdom

https://www.sipri.org/commentary/topical-backgrounder/2021/reassessing-sipris-military-expenditure-estimate-united-kingdom In November 2020, in the midst of the ‘second wave’ of COVID-19 and despite a projected 10.4 per cent decrease in the United Kingdom’s gross domestic product in 2020, the British Government announced a £16.5 billion budget boost for ‘defence’. The realities of this announcement however remain unclear. The definition of what constitutes the UK’s total military … Continue reading Reassessing SIPRI’s military expenditure estimate for the United Kingdom

‘Global Britain’ PR campaign in the guise of defence budget increase

British Prime Minister Johnson announced his government's intention to increase defence spending by £24.1 billion over the next four years, on top of existing annual defence spending (around £40bn p/a), and hence amounting to £190 billion over the next four years. That's nearly £200bn for the next 4 years. For what?

BAE Systems shares fall over Germany’s ban on arms exports to Saudis

Defence company BAE Systems’ share price fell sharply on Thursday after it warned that a German ban on arms exports to Saudi Arabia, imposed after the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, could scupper a multibillion-pound deal to sell Typhoon fighter jets. Alongside its annual results on Thursday, BAE Systems stressed that its business is “reliant on the approval … Continue reading BAE Systems shares fall over Germany’s ban on arms exports to Saudis

One-third of UK arms sales go to states on human rights watchlist

Nearly a third of arms exports authorised by Britain over the past decade were to nations identified by the government as among the worst for human rights, new figures reveal. Military arms deals worth an estimated £39bn were approved between 2008 and 2017, £12bn of which went to states included on the Foreign and Commonwealth … Continue reading One-third of UK arms sales go to states on human rights watchlist