Hunt: I fly the flag for British values in private meetings with Saudi Arabia

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said that he flies the flag for British values in private meetings with Saudi Arabia.

The Government has come under increasing pressure to cease arms sales with the Kingdom in light of the ongoing conflict between Saudi-led coalition forces and Iranian-backed rebels known as Houthis in Yemen.

The United Nations estimated that in August alone about 981 civilians, including more than 300 children, had been killed or injured in the conflict.

Mr Hunt, pressed by Sky News on the issue, said: “We have a commercial relationship with Saudi Arabia, we have a strategic relationship, there are bombs that have not gone off in the streets of Britain because of the counter intelligence that we’ve done with Saudi Arabia and we’re working with them to try and create peace in the region.

“The truth is that we also want to make sure that all countries everywhere behave in a humane and civilised way, and we do everything that we can to try and influence countries like Saudi Arabia.”

He added: “With countries like Saudi Arabia, countries like China, the way you make the most progress is by talking to them in private.

“If you talk about these things publicly you lose the access, they say ‘we don’t want to deal with you’ and you put yourself in a position where you have no influence over what’s happening.

“So, when I go to Saudi Arabia, when I go to China, when I go to countries like that, I raise these issues, I fly the flag for British values.”