SCOTTISH Labour politicians have been slammed after visiting an arms manufacturer linked with the Israeli military as the country ratchets up its assault on Palestine.
Glasgow MPs Patricia Ferguson and Zubir Ahmed were joined by Paul Sweeney, an MSP for the city, on a visit to the BAE Systems shipyards in Glasgow on Tuesday.
According to research by the American Friends Service Committee, a US-based Quaker organisation which makes recommendations to investors seeking to built ethical portfolios, BAE Systems supplies the Israeli military with a range of kit.
This includes components for combat aircraft, munitions, missile launching kits, and armored vehicles, while BAE tech is integrated into Israel’s main weapon systems including fighter jets, drones, and warships.
Enjoyed my visit to BAE systems in Scotstoun & Govan with @zubirahmed and @PaulJSweeney. Particularly impressed by the new training academy and by the enthusiasm of the apprentices we met. Best wishes to them all in their future careers. pic.twitter.com/LKwMJ6BA3d
— Patricia Ferguson (@PJFerguson18) August 27, 2024
The firm’s Scottish locations have attracted anti-Israel protests in the past over its links to Israel, though it is understood the company does not directly supply kit directly to the country but partners with Lockheed Martin on its F-35 bomber programme.
Sweeney, a former BAE shipbuilder, has also previously been at the centre of controversy after he sponsored a drinks reception in the Scottish Parliament for arms manufacturers with links to the Israeli military.
He pulled out of the event after his involvement was revealed by the investigative news site The Ferret.
Ferguson (below), a former MSP, has previously spoken out strongly for Palestine.
Around a decade ago during a Scottish Parliament debate on the 2014 Gaza war, Ferguson condemned the “destruction that has rained down on the defenceless civilian population of Gaza” and accused the Israeli government of committing war crimes.
Ferguson, Sweeney and Ahmed have come under fire for the visit, which saw the Labour politicians visit the BAE yards in Govan and Scotstoun. They met apprentices and visited the new training academy for shipbuilders in Scotstoun which opened earlier this month.
Blair Anderson (below), a Scottish Greens councillor in Glasgow, said BAE Systems was “complicit in the horrendous human suffering we see every day in Gaza”.
He told The National: “We need an economy with a conscience - where people can work to build peace, not warplanes. That’s why Greens have been calling for the Scottish Government to end the scandal of financial support for arms companies.
"It’s disappointing but not surprising to see Labour politicians singing the praises of big businesses with blood on their hands. Paul Sweeney has clearly learnt nothing since his wine reception for arms dealers was protested by peace activists at Holyrood earlier this year.
"When we are watching a genocide play out in Palestine, all politicians have a moral duty to play their part to stop it.”
He noted that fellow Green councillor Leodhas Massie recently secured Glasgow City Council funding worth £20,000 for the charity Medical Aid for Palestinians, adding: “That’s the sort of moral leadership we need to see from all of our politicians and parties.”
In a statement, Sweeney highlighted that both yards in question had been operational for more than 200 years and had “never exported any ships to Israel”.
He said: “It is right that the UK Government has suspended the processing of arms export licences for sales to Israel and I signed a motion tabled by my colleague Katy Clark MSP calling for this in November last year.
“The Govan and Scotstoun shipyards have operated since 1864 and 1906 respectively, and in that time, they have never exported any ships to Israel. Shipbuilding is synonymous with Glasgow, and it remains the biggest manufacturing industry in the city and the wider west of Scotland, sustaining more than 3200 shipyard workers.
“The £12 million investment in the newly opened state-of-the-art Applied Shipbuilding Academy at Scotstoun Shipyard was supported by the former SNP-Green government with a Scottish Enterprise grant of £360,000, which was a clear recognition of the country’s biggest employer of apprentices.”
While the UK Government has reportedly suspended arms export licences to Israel, a definitive answer on whether British weapons are being used to commit war crimes remains elusive for officials.
Attorney General Richard Hermer is reportedly refusing to approve a full ban until officials can say for sure whether Israel is using UK weapons for "offensive" or "defensive" purposes.
A BAE Systems spokesperson said: “We employ more than 4,500 people at our Glasgow shipyards and are currently investing £300m into these sites, which includes a new shipbuild hall and shipbuilding academy to ensure we continue to deliver ships to the Royal Navy from the Clyde for decades to come.
“We regularly engage with political representatives to increase awareness and understanding of the significant contribution our industry makes to the UK’s security and prosperity.”
Ferguson and Ahmed did not respond to requests for comment.
