The Politics of British Arms Sales Since 1964

Drawing extensively on official documents, this is an in-depth analysis of British arms sales policy.

It sets the related issues in context, and explains Britain's continuing addiction to the arms sales fix.

Beginning with an overview of the course of British arms sales policy, the book analyzes the ways in which government seeks to regulate and promote arms sales, the limited parliamentary role in overseeing this area of policy, and the corrupting impact of the "commissions culture" which the trade has engendered.

The following chapters provide detailed case studies of British arms sales policy towards Latin America, South East Asia, and the Middle East, considering a number of controversial and problematic arms sales relationships, such as those with Chile, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia.

The record of the 1997 Labour government, and the extent to which its commitment to an ethical dimension in British foreign policy has altered the nature of arms sales policy, is also considered.