September 5, 2017 - London, UK. The second day of protests against the world's largest arms fair held in London's docklands. Peter Marshall/Zuma Press/Press Association Images. All rights reserved.“Blowback” - a term used to describe the costs and consequences of a government’s actions. A term that perfectly illustrates Britain’s harmful role on the world stage - particularly in the arms industry, and how this in turn endangers the nation.
Many observers have depicted Britain’s foreign policy as promoting justice worldwide. Robin Cook, foreign secretary under Tony Blair, famously said in 1997 that Britain would pursue an “ethical foreign policy” that would “make Britain once again a force for good in the world”. Some today would still agree with Cook’s comment of Britain’s foreign policy in recent years.
Yet in practice, Britain’s position on the global stage has hardly reflected such claims. Alongside the many destructive invasions, it is one of the world’s largest arms dealers; its arms sales have also increased in recent years.
