Keir Starmer holds talks with Saudi ruler Mohammed bin Salman vowing to prioritise UK financial system over human rights… regardless of beforehand blasting Boris Johnson for going ‘cap-in-hand from dictator to dictator’
Sir Keir Starmer today held talks with Saudi ruler Mohammed bin Salman as he put efforts to boost Britain’s economic growth above human rights concerns.
The Prime Minister met the Crown Prince in Saudi capital Riyadh as part of his Middle East tour, during which he has also visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Sir Keir has travelled to meet the region’s rulers despite previously blasting Boris Johnson for ‘going cap-in-hand from dictator to dictator’ during his Tory predecessor’s 2022 trip to the Gulf.
Ahead of his talks with the Crown Prince, the PM came under pressure from campaigners to raise the issue of children facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia.
And the widow of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi urged Sir Keir to question Mr Bin Salman about the case.
But Downing Street stressed that ‘promoting economic growth’ would be the PM’s ‘number one priority’.
Human rights groups recently issued a warning over Saudi Arabia’s ‘alarming’ use of the death penalty, with at least 200 people executed within the first nine months of this year.
Despite repeated pledges from the Crown Prince to reduce the use of the death penalty, they said the rate of executions has continued to soar under his bloodthirsty regime.
Sir Keir Starmer today held talks with Saudi ruler Mohammed bin Salman as he put efforts to boost Britain’s economic growth above human rights concerns
The Prime Minister met the Crown Prince in Saudi capital Riyadh as part of his Middle East tour, during which he has also visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
The PM came under pressure from campaigners to raise the issue of children facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia
Sir Keir’s visit to Riyadh followed his time in the UAE, during which he visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi
Mr Bin Salman is also accused of ordering the 2018 killing of Mr Khashoggi, a prominent critic of the Saudi government, which sparked global outrage.
Ahead of the PM’s talks with the Crown Prince, Sir Keir’s official spokesman said: ‘Promoting economic growth is the PM’s number one priority, he has been very clear about that.
‘You saw the PM’s plan for change last week, you can see the Government’s clear priorities for the British people as part of that.
‘But no aspect of the relationships that we’re building internationally… stops us from raising issues around human rights and protecting our protecting our values globally.’
Reprieve deputy executive director Dan Dolan said: ‘When Boris Johnson visited Mohammed bin Salman in 2022, three days after the mass execution of 81 people, Sir Keir Starmer was rightly scathing of Johnson’s unconditional embrace of one of the world’s most prolific executioners of protesters.
‘Now he is the PM, he has the opportunity to address the escalating execution crisis in Saudi Arabia.
‘If he publicly raises the cases of child defendants Abdullah al-Howaiti and Abdullah al-Derazi when he meets with the Crown Prince, he could save their lives.’
Mr Khashoggi’s widow Hanan Elatr Khashoggi told the Guardian that Sir Keir should demand answers about what happened to her husband, who was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul six years ago.
‘I hope my husband’s case has not been forgotten, and I will always maintain to make sure it is not forgotten,’ she said.
‘There is unfinished business here. There has to be justice for Jamal Khashoggi.’
Sir Keir’s visit to Riyadh followed time in the UAE where he met president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.
The two discussed the ‘evolving situation in Syria’ and the PM ‘welcomed His Highness’s reflections on how to achieve stability in the wider region against the broader geopolitical backdrop’, a Downing Street spokeswoman said.
‘Turning to the bilateral relationship, they agreed on the untapped potential in areas such as artificial intelligence, and a joint desire to build on existing co-operation in defence and security.’
‘They also discussed a shared ambition for greater investment and trade, building on the close personal ties between the British and Emirati people.’
Sir Keir’s allies last week scrambled to defend the PM’s changed stance on Qatar as he welcomed the petro-state’s ruler to Downing Street .
The PM and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, met in No10 to agree a £1billion investment in climate technology.
But their talks came little more than two years after Sir Keir boycotted football’s World Cup in Qatar due to the country’s human rights record.
