BATTING FOR BRITAIN - BRITISH ARMS SALES IN THE THATCHER YEARS

The Scott Inquiry into ''arms-to-Iraq'' was in many ways a fitting epi taph on the arms sales policy pursued by the Conservative governments of Margaret Thatcher from 1979-1990. As the Scott Report clearly showe d, the Thatcher governments favoured a highly permissive approach to a rms sales. It was an approach which invigorated the British arms expor t industry, but at the same time invited controversy and was not witho ut cost. This article examines some of the methods, controversies and costs of the Thatcher governments' arms sales drive.