Tolerating Corruption.

Our member Jim McCluskey has been writing to the press pointing out the damage done to our democracy by turning a blind eye to corruption at the highest level, and by blatant disregard of treaty obligations, in the case of our weapon of mass destruction. The first letter was not published; the second was, on 14^th April, in the Guardian.

Dear Sir,

Thank you for publishing the very forthright article by Lord Avebury and Susan Hawley regarding the Yamamah corruption scandal ( ‘Cast off the cloak’ 11.4.08). The High Court’s ruling that the executive’s halting of the FCO enquiry, on the grounds of national security, was illegal will, it is hoped, encourage the challenging of a much more serious contravention of the law by our government, on the grounds of national security.

‘There exists an obligation to pursue in good faith and bring to a conclusion negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects…’ In the foreword to the government White Paper on Trident Renewal Blair tells us that our nuclear arsenal …’has provided the ultimate assurance of our national security’. He goes on to write, in support of continuing indefinitely with our nuclear arsenal, ’We cannot predict the way the world will look in 30 or 50 years time…’ This is not honouring our obligation to pursue nuclear disarmament in good faith that is required by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty; a treaty that Britain has signed and which is quoted above.

Jim McCluskey.

Dear Sir,

If we do not continue to receive ‘intelligence’ from Saudi Arabia, lives will be put at risk, we are told by the government (Tories join Brown in bid to block fraud investigations, April 12^th) . But how many lives are put at risk by the £40 billion of armaments that we are selling? What are we to make of this incoherent government defence of the obscene arms trade?

Jim McCluskey.