London Assembly Member and Brockley councillor Darren Johnson spoke out this week about the DSEi [1] arms fair taking place at the ExCel Centre in the Docklands, and called upon Londoners to voice their opposition to UK arms sales to despotic regimes like Libya by lobbying MPs.
Darren said:
"I’m appalled that yet again, London is playing host to a major international arms fair. I know that there is deep anger and revulsion among many Londoners that our city has again become a focus for the arms trade.
"London should be a hub for the green businesses and new green industries that are going to provide the jobs of the future. Local people do not want London to be associated with a weapons industry that, despite the violent upheavals all over the Arab world, is still engaged in deals with repressive regimes like Algeria, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
"Green MP Caroline Lucas has brought an Early Day Motion [2] to the House of Commons this week, calling on the Government to end UK exports of military equipment to all authoritarian regimes. I urge Londoners to email their MPs, ask them to sign EDM 2166 against the arms trade, and let our politicians know that we want no part in this appalling and immoral trade."
Notes
[1] DSEi (Defence & Security Equipment International), is one of the biggest events on the international arms fair circuit, taking place every two years at the ExCel centre in London’s Docklands. This year it is running at the ExCel centre from the 13thth- 16thth September. For more info see: www.dsei.co.uk
[2] An Early Day Motion is a short motion used to test how much support there is in Parliament for a given proposal. The full text of Early Day Motion 2166, along with a list of MPs who have already signed, can be found here http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2010-12/2166