AS The Bolton News reported on September 13, Bolton CND/Stop the War group held a silent vigil to protest against arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the bombing of Yemen outside the MBDA missile factory to the south of Bolton on September 12.

This was to coincide with the opening of the massive DESI Arms Fair in London.

Saudi Arabia is currently heavily bombing Yemen, the poorest Arab state, using missiles made by MBDA.

Bolton CND/Stop the War group is calling for the UK Government to halt the supply of weapons to Saudi Arabia and to stop supporting the Saudi led coalition’s bombing of Yemen.

Many civilians have been killed or made homeless and millions are suffering from serious food shortages.

The group is also calling for a change of industrial strategy by the UK Government, so that in future the skills and talents of our workforce can be redeployed from making weapons to kill and maim to making useful and constructive products.

For example, Germany has prioritised the Renewable Energy sector, creating 347,000 jobs by 2016.

The UK now has more large wind turbines than anywhere else in Europe, but virtually none were constructed in the UK.

Why cannot the UK focus on manufacturing useful products and move away from the current priority of selling weapons?

Many of these weapons are going to regimes with bad human rights records.

The arms trade is promoting and extending wars in troubled parts of the world.

Surely, the UK can redirect its productive potential to making goods which are useful and beneficial.

Barry Mills

Silverdale Road

Bolton