News that the UK government has licensed multi-million pound arms deals with the Sri Lankan government has triggered outrage amongst campaigners and MPs, and raises the need for sea-change in public policy on the arms trade.

Germany's top Protestant cleric, Bishop Wolfgang Huber, has criticised Germany's role as a major global arms exporter, the largest weapons seller in Europe as a whole.

Gordon Brown has said he will shut down the main government overseas arms sales office – at least in its present form. Peace campaigners want this to signal a more basic shift away from the promotion of military exports.