		<div class="wpcnt">
			<div class="wpa">
				<span class="wpa-about">Advertisements</span>
				<div class="u top_amp">
							<amp-ad width="300" height="265"
		 type="pubmine"
		 data-siteid="111265417"
		 data-section="2">
		</amp-ad>
				</div>
			</div>
		</div><p>Theresa May has denied Britain is selling its principles for trade deals as she prepares to fly into Saudi Arabia amid widespread criticism over its human rights record.</p>
<p>The UK Prime Minister has faced repeated calls to suspend arms sales following claims of breaches of international law in Yemen under the Saudi-led coalition bombing campaign.</p>
<p>Labour called on Mrs May to halt weapons exports to the state immediately and urged her to back an independent investigation into war crimes in the conflict.</p>
<p>But the PM insisted the UK must engage with Saudi Arabia rather than snipe from the sidelines.<br />
She told the BBC: &#8220;We are concerned about the humanitarian situation. That&#8217;s why the UK last year was the fourth largest donor to the Yemen in terms of humanitarian aid &#8211; £103 million. We will be continuing with that.</p>
<p>&#8220;And, yes, we will be raising the humanitarian issue. We believe it is important that we recognise the threat that there is in terms of people&#8217;s lives. We will be supporting that through the aid and support that we give.&#8221;</p>
<p>Asked whether she would be raising human rights issues with her Saudi hosts, Mrs May said: &#8220;The important thing for the United Kingdom when we meet people and we want to raise issues of human rights &#8211; and that may be in a number of countries around the world &#8211; is if we have the relationship with them, then we are able to do that.</p>
<p>&#8220;So, rather than just standing on the sidelines and sniping, it&#8217;s important to engage, to talk to people, to talk about our interests and to raise, yes, difficult issues when we feel it&#8217;s necessary to do so.&#8221;</p>
<p>Asked if the UK was selling its principles cheaply for the sake of trade and arms deals, she replied: &#8220;No we are not doing that. What we are doing is continuing the links that we have had for a long time with countries that are important to us around the world.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Saudis back the war-torn Yemen&#8217;s internationally recognised government against Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Britain has continued to allow arms sales, with more than £3.3 billion of exports since the bombing began in March 2015.</p>
<p>At least 10,000 people have been killed during the war, according to the United Nations.</p>
			<div style="padding-bottom:15px;" class="wordads-tag" data-slot-type="belowpost">
				<div id="atatags-dynamic-belowpost-68e33e4f787e3">
					<script type="text/javascript">
						window.getAdSnippetCallback = function () {
							if ( false === ( window.isWatlV1 ?? false ) ) {
								// Use Aditude scripts.
								window.tudeMappings = window.tudeMappings || [];
								window.tudeMappings.push( {
									divId: 'atatags-dynamic-belowpost-68e33e4f787e3',
									format: 'belowpost',
								} );
							}
						}

						if ( document.readyState === 'loading' ) {
							document.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', window.getAdSnippetCallback );
						} else {
							window.getAdSnippetCallback();
						}
					</script>
				</div>
			</div>
Discover more from London Glossy Post
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
