In its best passages, his speech showed by example why Liberal Democrats matter: speaking out against
BAE arms sales, or extraordinary rendition.
In 2004, the SFO started an investigation into suspected accounting irregularities relating to
BAE and a government to government deal struck in 1985: Britain signed the Al - Yamamah
arms for oil deal with Saudi Arabia, the biggest ever UK export contract involving the
sale of 120 Tornado fighter jets.