Cameron takes arms dealers with him on Egypt visit to promote democracy

David Cameron was last night accused of using his Middle East tour to promote Arab democracy as a cover for arms sales.

The Prime Minister was branded a ‘disgrace’ after it emerged that he has taken eight defence firms with him on a four-day visit to the region.

Mr Cameron yesterday became the first world leader to visit Egypt since the historic overthrow of President Mubarak and has since travelled to Kuwait to call for political reform.

He said he wanted to offer Britain’s help in creating the ‘building blocks of democracy’ in the country and the wider Arab world.

But critics expressed amazement that Mr Cameron was promoting a mission to sell arms to Arab dictators shortly after Colonel Gaddafi may have used British weapons to kill hundreds of his fellow countrymen in Libya.

They accused Mr Cameron of using a high-profile visit to Cairo’s Tahrir Square – Ground Zero in the Egyptian popular uprising – as a fig leaf for peddling military equipment.

Bosses from major arms and aerospace companies such as BAe Systems, Qinetiq and Thales joined the Prime Minister on the plane which last night arrived in Kuwait.

Other defence contractors present included bosses from the Cobham Group, Ultra Electronics, Rolls Royce, Babcock International Group and Atkins.

At the same time, Defence Minister Gerald Howarth and 50 British companies were flying the flag at an arms export show in the United Arab Emirates, also attended by Libyan generals.

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