Close The Gulf In Thinking

We are all supposed to be terribly pleased that we are to sell 24 typhoons and six hawks to Qatar. Until they are used on us. Arming the Gulf monarchies, which have no dividing line whatever with the so-called Islamic State, is as suicidal as being in a military alliance with Turkey, or behaving as if we were in a military alliance with Pakistan.

But then, anywhere could have a coup, or a civil war, or whatever, meaning that anyone could thus end up in possession of the arms that we had manufactured and sold. Nationalise this industry, make it the monopoly supplier to our own Armed Forces, rebuild those Armed Forces instead of splurging money on Trident, and ban the sale of arms abroad. All of this will be perfectly possible once we are out of the European Single Market.