Robin Cook's ethical foreign policy has suffered a
severe setback after his bill to regulate the arms trade
failed to secure a place in the government's autumn
legislative programme. Labour will be open to accusations of hypocrisy by
going into the general election without having
implemented the recommendations on arms brokering
made by Sir Richard Scott, who conducted the inquiry
into the arms-to-Iraq affair. The Foreign Office had been
keen to put through the legislation to send a positive
signal to counter criticism it has faced over dubious
arms sales to countries such as Indonesia, Pakistan
and Zimbabwe.
The revelation that the measure has not been included
in the Queen's Speech is an embarrassment to Mr
Cook, who made his parliamentary reputation in
opposition by hounding the then Conservative
government in 1996 over the arms-to-Iraq affair. Over
the last few months, Mr Cook and the trade and
industry secretary, Stephen Byers, fought hard in
private Whitehall meetings for parliamentary time for
the arms bill.
They were backed by the defence secretary, Geoff
Hoon. But they were overruled on the ministerial
committee that decides what bills should be included
in November's speech.
The arms bill, which had already been drafted by the
Department of Trade and Industry, would have forced
Britons involved in the export of arms to be licensed. At
present, the trade is governed by loose legislation
introduced in 1939.
The US and other countries within the European Union,
such as Germany and Sweden, license companies
selling arms abroad. Licences are withheld from
dealers regarded as dubious.
Spokesmen for the Foreign Office and the Department
of Trade yesterday stuck to the standard government
formula when asked about the Queen's Speech, saying
they could not anticipate its contents.
But Whitehall sources close to the ministerial
negotiations confirmed the bill had dropped off the list.
"The bill is dead," one said.
As the Queen's Speech is almost certainly the last
before the general election, Labour is designing one
that will have electoral appeal, devoted to health,
education and crime. The arms industry is not
regarded as a vote-winner.
Expectations that the bill would be in the Queen's
Speech were raised in February when Department of
Trade officials were given the go-ahead to begin
drafting, which normally guarantees a slot. A white
paper on strategic export controls had first been
published by the Department of Trade in 1998.
This proposed "to control the involvement of persons in
the UK or UK persons abroad in trafficking and
brokering in arms and other controlled goods to any
country subject to an embargo". Those breaking the
proposed law would be subject to criminal charges.
The Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman,
Menzies Campbell, said last night: "Labour promised
much in opposition when it reaped the dividend of Tory
cynicism over arms-to-Iraq. To fail to make the
necessary changes in legislation in the course of a
parliament hardly suggests the kind of commitment to
change for which Labour argued when the Scott report
was published."
Kevin Mullen, a spokesman for the Campaign Against
the Arms Trade, expressed disappointment: "Tough
controls are required to stop UK nationals profiting from
conflict hot spots. If the government fails to act, it will
be yet another disappointing episode on this issue,
considering their promises to control illicit arms sales
and their posturing on the problem of blood diamonds."
The Foreign Office has led a campaign this year to
restrict the sale of diamonds from Sierra Leone, Angola
and the Congo that contribute to their civil wars.
Paul Eavis, director of Saferworld, another campaign
group, said: "It is outrageous that the government is
not bringing forward legislation to tackle the problems
caused by arms brokers and shipping agents."
In the last year, Mr Cook has been overruled several
times by Tony Blair, who came down in favour of Mr
Byers and Mr Hoon in allowing contentious arms
sales. But Mr Byers was an enthusiast for this bill. To
a lesser extent, so was Mr Hoon.
