Government let British company export nerve gas chemicals to Syria – Media roundup: September 2nd, 2013

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Government let British company export nerve gas chemicals to Syria

The Government was accused of “breathtaking laxity” in its arms controls last night after it emerged that officials authorised the export to Syria of two chemicals capable of being used to make a nerve agent such as sarin a year ago. The Business Secretary, Vince Cable, will today be asked by MPs to explain why a British company was granted export licences for the dual-use substances for six months in 2012 while Syria’s civil war was raging and concern was rife that the regime could use chemical weapons on its own people. The disclosure of the licences for potassium fluoride and sodium fluoride, which can both be used as precursor chemicals in the manufacture of nerve gas, came as the US Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States had evidence that sarin  gas was used in last month’s atrocity in Damascus. – Independent

Lobbying bill threatens free speech for charities, says top lawyer

Charities in Britain will be put in fear of criminal prosecution by the “chilling effect” of curbs on political campaigning in the government’s lobbying bill that is due to receive its second reading in the House of Commons on Tuesday, a leading human rights lawyer has warned. Amid nerves in government at the growing opposition to the bill, which will widen the definition of election campaigning by third parties, Helen Mountfield QC warns the proposals could be in breach of the right to free speech. The legal opinion by Mountfield, who works in the Matrix legal chambers founded by Cherie Booth QC and other human rights lawyers, is released by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) ahead of the second reading of the transparency of lobbying, non-party campaigning and trade union administration bill. – Guardian

Other highlights

• Could there be another Straw in the House? – Daily Mail
• Our reputation is in your hands, Mr Miliband – Malcolm Rifkind, The Times(£)
• David Cameron’s arrogance over Syria vote is an Achilles’ heel, not a strength – Kevin Maguire, Daily Mirror
• Sir David Frost obituary – Daily Mirror