I’ve received emails from many constituents concerning the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman’s to the UK.
The SNP have been vocal in recent years in their calls for the UK Government to cease arms deals with the Saudi Arabian Government. My SNP colleagues Ian Blackford and Chris Law MP have spoken in the House of Commons, calling for an immediate end to arms sales to Saudi Arabia, in line with other European countries. There can no longer be any denying that the UK government has broken its own treaty commitments under the Cluster Munitions Convention and has been complicit in violations of International Humanitarian Law and extensive civilian casualties in Yemen. The UK Government has yet to clarify what UK personnel are doing in Saudi Arabia and the extent of their involvement in the Saudi operation in Yemen and the SNP will continue to press for clarity in these areas.
This stands against the backdrop of numerous human rights concerns in Saudi Arabia which have been raised by NGOs and international organisations and which the UK Government should be raising with the Crown Prince as a matter of urgency.
Rest assured that SNP MPs will continue to press the UK Government to re-examine its relationship with Saudi Arabia, starting with an immediate cessation to arms sales to the country and for the admission of international aid organisations to provide vital support on the ground in Yemen.