Telford campaigners say "no"

Press release , 13 October 2023

Campaigners say “no” to Telford arms fair

On 13 October, campaigners from Stop SDSC-UK will present a letter to the Telford International Centre calling for the cancellation of the Specialist Defence & Security Convention UK (SDSC-UK) arms fair booked for 1-2 November.

In their open letter to the Telford International Centre, the campaigners say, “This is not just another industry show. SDSC-UK is part of the destructive global arms trade which drives armed conflict, oppression and human rights abuses around the world.”

Among the hundreds of individual signatories are religious and community leaders, business people and military veterans. The organisations backing the campaign include Quaker Meetings across the region including Telford Quakers and Meetings, PCS union Revenue & Customs Telford branch, Shropshire Stand Up to Racism and Fossil Free Shropshire.

After campaigners raised the alarm, Albert’s Shed, Southwater, the popular grassroots live music venue, has cancelled the arms fair’s booking for 'welcome drinks & nibbles' planned for the evening before the event.

The Stop SDSC open letter is published online and has been sent to the Telford International Centre by email and on social media, but so far has received no response from the exhibition centre’s management. Campaigners therefore chose to hand-deliver the letter on 13 October.

Southwater Group, which operates the Telford International Centre say on its website its values include integrity: “doing the right thing for our people, our guests and the environment”

“We strongly object to an arms fair being held in Telford,” said Ellis Brooks, campaigner and Bridgnorth resident. “The kind of technology and equipment touted at the SDSC is associated with destruction and oppression right now.”

Telford resident Fiona McCleary added, “This deadly trade consumes over $100,000 billion[1] every year which could be used for so many human needs around the world. According to An estimated 5.5%[2] of global warming emissions come from militarism. It really doesn’t match our values in Telford.”

More campaigners will be protesting peacefully against the arms fair on 2 November if SDSC-UK is not cancelled.

Notes for editors :

Stop SDSC-UK is a grassroots campaign that has grown since the arms fair was announced this summer.  The SDSC came to Telford after its predecessor, the 3 Counties DSE, was the object of intense opposition across the shires of Hereford, Worcester and Gloucester. Campaigners contacted the Telford International Centre with an open letter requesting the event be cancelled on ethical grounds.

Press enquiries: Campaigners plan to hand-in their letter at 11am on 13 October. Email stopsdsc@gmail.com for press enquiries.

The open letter with signatories: https://bit.ly/stop-SDSC

SIPRI: "the estimate of the financial value of the global arms trade for 2020 was at least $112 billion". | https://www.sipri.org/databases/financial-value-global-arms-trade

The SDSC-UK arm fair’s website: https://www.sdsc-uk.co.uk/

Shropshire Star, Protests threatened as controversial arms fair moves to Telford | https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/local-hubs/telford/2023/07/04/protests-threatened-as-controversial-arms-fair-moves-to-telford/

CAAT, Hide and Seek with an Arms Fair in Worcestershire |  https://caat.org.uk/news/hide-and-seek-arms-fair/

CAAT, Annual report on UK arms exports | https://caat.org.uk/publications/annual-report-uk-arms-exports-in-2022/

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[1] SIPRI: "the estimate of the financial value of the global arms trade for 2020 was at least $112 billion". | https://www.sipri.org/databases/financial-value-global-arms-trade

[2] According to Scientists for Global Responsibility (2022), an estimated 5.5% of global warming emissions come from militarism:   https://ceobs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SGRCEOBS-Estimating_Global_MIlitary_GHG_Emissions_Nov22_rev.pdf