I have no insight as to whether the breathless Newsnight story about BAE that i saw last night and in the papers today have any credence.Sadly, the few people I know in the arms business all confirm that it perhaps not the most ethical industry. A Hobbesian view of the world suggests those that are selling weapons to murder people with are perhaps not those most prone to strong views on right and wrong.
However, even if these accusations fail in court, with the record of the SFO this is after all quite likely, the much has been spread.
I note in recent years that BAE has been busy buying up companies all over the world and in the US, to try and diversify its business. If it finds that its head office is based in a country that does not want it anymore then why not move abroad. The factories can stay and surely the government would want this as it is very dependent on BAE for jobs and defence needs.
The bosses could operate in a jurisdiction with a more friendly tax and political regime. There are plenty of candidates for this.
This is not to condone the paying of bribes and an unethical way of business, but reality bites hard sometime. Labour's ethical foreign policy did not last long, I do wonder about the merits of pursuing BAE for past actions instead on ensuring future compliance.
