BRITAIN’S arms exports have almost doubled to £8.5 billion, fuelling wars and conflict across the world, a new report revealed today.

Research by the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) found that arms deals in 2022 were at their highest level since records began.

But the report warned that greater transparency is needed to ensure companies provide accurate data on the costs of weapons and quantities transferred.

The highest levels of exports were to countries with repressive regimes and poor human rights records, including £2.7bn to Qatar, £1.1bn to Saudi Arabia and £424 million to Turkey.

Ukraine is also cited as a country of concern in the report due to a lack of safeguards for weapons when the conflict ends, such as those existing in the EU and the US.

Small arms sales to the US are also highlighted as problematic due to a licence issued for 28,500 sniper rifles for a commercial end user, raising concerns they could contribute to gun violence or be smuggled to Central America.

Emily Apple of CAAT said the report “gives a clear picture” of how Britain is “complicit in fuelling conflict around the world.”

She said: “Billions of pounds of arms are exported to dictatorial or near-dictatorial regimes that commit appalling human rights violations with a disturbing lack of transparency.

“As we move closer towards a general election, it is vital that all political parties take CAAT’s recommendations seriously and commit to taking urgent action over these deadly sales.”

Stop the War Coalition convener Lindsey German said Britain’s arms deals are “fuelling repression and war” across the world.

She told the Star: “Arms production and arms deals are a central part of the British economy, and successive governments here have done everything to subsidise and encourage this.

“As the world becomes an ever more dangerous place, and the threat of greater instability grows, we urgently need to oppose arms exports.

“Any ethical foreign policy would campaign for peace and refuse to manufacture and sell some of the deadliest weapons in the world.

“Instead, we should try to tackle the huge problems facing humanity: dealing with climate change, eradicating poverty and disease, and providing basic food, water and housing.”

A UK government spokesperson said: “We take our export control responsibilities extremely seriously and operate one of the most robust and transparent export control regimes in the world.”

“We carefully assess all licence applications from UK exporters and refuse or revoke licences when they don’t meet our strict criteria.”