Politics1 min read

Firms tied to West Bank settlements win $15m UK deals despite sanctions

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The United Kingdom granted 10.7 million pounds in public-sector agreements to entities associated with settlements following declarations of potential sanction powers by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband. Market intelligence from Tussell revealed that firms on UN settlement databases, such as German group Heidelberg Materials, won major roadworks and resurfacing assignments. While critics including Jeremy Corbyn condemned the spending, procurement guidelines bar boycotts without official British sanctions or formal embargoes.

Key points

  • British public-sector contracts continue to finance commercial entities listed by the Uni…: British public-sector contracts continue to finance commercial entities listed by the United Nations for West Bank settlement links.
  • Public procurement regulations prevent local authorities from excluding international sup…: Public procurement regulations prevent local authorities from excluding international suppliers unless formal British embargoes are enacted.
  • Infrastructure bodies including National Highways and regional councils in Nottingham and…: Infrastructure bodies including National Highways and regional councils in Nottingham and Lincolnshire granted road surfacing deals to affected subsidiaries.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called the findings ‘outrageous and frankly insulting to the public’.

The United Kingdom awarded 10.7 million pounds ($14.4m) in new public contracts to firms with links to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, despite British government pledges to punish companies that profit from settlement activity, an Al Jazeera investigation reveals.

The contracts were published after the British government announced new powers on September 8 to sanction companies profiting from business with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which are illegal under international law.

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An analysis of procurement records, company filings, corporate disclosures and contract data supplied by Tussell, a British public sector market intelligence firm, has found that businesses named by the United Nations over their involvement in…

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