The government is facing a backlash after the business secretary suggested the UK should not be “squeamish” about selling arms to India amid escalating tensions with Pakistan.
India has launched missile strikes in what it says is a response to a terror attack in Kashmir that claimed 26 lives last month.
But Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, called the pre-dawn airstrikes an “act of war” and responded with shelling.
Just hours after the strikes, UK business secretary Johnathan Reynolds did not rule out supplying India with weapons.
He said the UK would “always be willing to talk to a fellow democracy if that was something they were interested in”, although he added that military equipment was “not a specific part of the trade deal” the UK struck with India this week.
He told Sky News that Britain should “not be squeamish” about exporting our defence sector to other markets around the world, adding that the UK “should be proud that we’ve got the capacity to defend ourselves”.
Earlier, he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the situation in Kashmir was “hugely worrying”, adding that Britain is ready to support both India and Pakistan to de-escalate tensions following an exchange of fire between the two nations.
Labour MP Kim Johnson told The Independent: “I find the business secretary’s comments deeply troubling. You cannot voice concern over escalating tensions in Kashmir while simultaneously suggesting we should ‘not be squeamish’ about selling arms to one side of the conflict. This position is morally incoherent and diplomatically reckless.
“The UK must not be complicit in fuelling regional instability in pursuit of arms deals, especially in a context where human rights and international peace are at risk. Regardless of diplomatic ties, our standards for arms exports must be principled and not driven by commercial interests.”
Labour MP John Trickett said: “Britain needs to avoid exacerbating the already dangerous situation on the subcontinent by supplying arms. Furthermore, the idea of supplying arms to one side in a conflict situation clearly runs contrary to our national interest by risking serious diplomatic consequences from the other party.”
Sir Keir Starmer has called on India and Pakistan to take steps to ease the “rising tensions”.
The prime minister said the UK encouraged “dialogue, de-escalation and the protection of civilians”.
Sir Keir told MPs: “Rising tensions between India and Pakistan will be of serious concern for many across Britain.
“We are engaging urgently with both countries as well as other international partners, encouraging dialogue, de-escalation and the protection of civilians.”
British nationals in India and Pakistan have been urged to “stay up to date” with UK government travel advice and follow the advice of the local authorities, by Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer.
Mr Falconer told MPs this was “an incredibly delicate moment in an evolving and fast-moving situation” and added that civilian lives being lost in the conflict between Pakistan and India was “heartbreaking”.
The Department for Business and Trade has been approached for comment.
