Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al-Dali to Al Mayadeen: The agreement will be signed in the presence of Resistance leaders, led by Hamas, with senior official Khalil al-Hayya set to sign the agreement.
Trump to Fox News: I believe Iran is going to be involved in the peace situation.
Trump: Gaza will be rebuilt.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The occupation forces continue their violations, and warplanes are entering Gazan airspace at this moment.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The fate of thousands of civilians and journalists remains unknown.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The occupation forces continue bombing various areas of the Gaza Strip.
Hamas: We renew our pledge to our brave prisoners and their families that they will remain at the heart of our priorities, and we will not rest until the last prisoner enjoys freedom.
Hamas: We are awaiting the final approval of the names ahead of announcing them through the Prisoners’ Media Office.
Hamas: We affirm that we have submitted the lists of Palestinian prisoners according to the agreed-upon criteria within the framework of the agreement.
Gaza Media Office: We urge our people not to move around Al-Rashid and Salah al-Din streets or their surrounding areas.

Weapons firms have 50 staff inside UK Defense Ministry: openDemocracy

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: openDemocracy
  • 27 Sep 2022 16:00
4 Min Read

News website openDemocracy says major UK weapons manufacturers have staff working inside the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense.

  • x
  • UK’s Ministry of Defense
    UK’s Ministry of Defense

News website openDemocracy claimed that more than 50 paid employees of global arms companies are working inside the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence (MoD).

According to the website, among the 50 employees are "nine staffers on long-term secondment from the UK’s biggest weapons manufacturer, BAE Systems, some of whom have been embedded inside the department for years."

The website highlighted that BAE Systems last year made more than £4.1bn in sales from the MoD, bragging about its "strong and long-standing relationships" with the UK government.

OpenDemocracy reported that "almost all of this money was spent through contracts that were awarded without competitive tender."

"Major conflict of interest risks"

This comes as earlier reports said that UK Prime Minister Liz Truss’ top aide, Mark Fullbrook, is being paid through his own lobbying firm.

Commenting on the matter, Michael Ofori-Mensah, head of research at Transparency International Defence and Security, considered that "seconding industry insiders for senior Whitehall roles can provide invaluable insight, but also carries major conflict of interest risks."

OpenDemocracy revealed that "at least four BAE officials have been based for over three years in Defence Equipment and Support, the arms-length government body that purchases military goods and services from companies like BAE."

"A further six MoD staff are on secondment from Qinetiq, a huge defence technology company, while Rolls-Royce and Babcock have supplied at least two staffers each," the website added.

Related News

Ansar Allah renew vow to support Gaza until 'Israel' halts its war

US spent $33 billion on post-Oct.7 genocide, wars, Brown Uni reports

Documents obtained by openDemocracy show that "employees of seven arms companies including BAE, Leonardo, and MBDA are currently on secondments at the Department for International Trade (DIT)."

However, the website highlighted that "other officials installed in the ministry appear to have been lost in the system, with no record of who is paying them. Responding to a request under the Freedom of Information Act, the department admitted it could not identify the employers of at least 23 people currently there on secondment."

BAE, Leonardo and MBDA exported weapons to Saudi Arabia 

A UK government spokesperson said the secondments were part of "a long-standing arrangement designed to encourage better collaboration and improve technical expertise," adding that all secondees work under normal civil service rules and are subject to "robust security checks."

Sam Perlo-Freeman, the research coordinator at Campaign Against the Arms Trade, considered that the recent information shows how "deeply embedded" the arms industry is in the UK government.

"The very department charged with regulating arms exports has representatives of the arms industry at its heart," he told openDemocracy.

Perlo-Freeman considered that "the government essentially treats the industry's interests as its own, with tragic consequences for victims of conflict and repression in Yemen and worldwide."

According to openDemocracy, "BAE, Leonardo and MBDA have all exported weapons to Saudi Arabia that have subsequently been used in its war in Yemen. All three companies were named as parties to alleged Saudi war crimes in a complaint by human rights groups to the International Criminal Court."

The website mentioned that since the war on Yemen began in 2015, BAE Systems has sold £15bn worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia, including Typhoon and Tornado fighter jets, despite its spokesperson claiming that the company's work for Saudi Arabia "does not involve the company in military operational activity and our people are not involved in the loading of weapons for operational sorties."

UK test weapons on Yemeni children

It is noteworthy that the United Kingdom signed off on arms exports worth nearly $1.9 billion to Saudi Arabia between July and September 2020 following the lifting of a ban on weapons sales to the Gulf country.

"UK-made weapons have played a devastating role in the Saudi-led attacks on Yemen, and the humanitarian crisis they have created, yet the UK government has done everything it can to keep the arms sales flowing," Sarah Waldron, a spokesperson for the Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT), had previously pointed out.

Between January 2015 and December 2019, the British government approved 385 licenses for the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia.

In March, a member of the Supreme Political Council in Yemen, Mohammad Ali Al-Houthi, underscored that the US and UK test the effectiveness of their weapons by selling them to the Gulf aggression countries, which they use in killing Yemeni children.

  • Yemen
  • UK
  • United Kingdom

Most Read

Tucker Carlson speaks at a memorial for Charlie Kirk, Sunday, September 21, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (AP)

Tucker Carlson: Israeli officers gave orders on Iran inside Pentagon

  • Politics
  • 2 Oct 2025
A Hamas fighter in combat fatigues stands before the ceremony for the handover of Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, February 22, 2025 (AP)

Hamas responds to Trump plan, backs Gaza withdrawal, exchange

  • Politics
  • 3 Oct 2025
Mossad’s secret role in Aldo Moro’s 1978 murder revealed

Mossad’s secret role in Aldo Moro’s 1978 murder exposed

  • Politics
  • 5 Oct 2025
The Palestinian resistance and the people of Gaza showed that after combating Israeli aggression for two years, they remain victorious in the face of oppression (Mahdi Rteil/Al Mayadeen English)

Al-Aqsa Flood two years on, a tale of victory

  • Politics
  • 6 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
An Israeli armored vehicle moves on a street of a local market during a military raid in the West Bank refugee camp of Balata, Wednesday, October 8, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Israeli settlers kill Palestinian youth near Ramallah amid raids

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks during the Moscow format consultations on Afghanistan in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Iran interested in resuming nuclear talks: Lavrov

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva speaks during a news conference at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) headquarters in Washington, April 25, 2025 (AP)
Politics

IMF head flags US budget, Europe Defense spending challenges

Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, at UN headquarters (AP)
Politics

Meloni faces ICC complaint over Gaza genocide complicity with Israelis

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS