Many in the world will be horrified by the possibility of what happened to journalist Jamal Khashoggi who was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Turkey two weeks ago.

The issue puts the spotlight on companies such as British defence giant BAE Systems, which receives a sixth of all its revenues  from Saudi Arabia.

Earlier this year, the UK signed a letter of intent to supply Saudi Arabia with BAE-built Typhoon aircraft to replace Tornados going out of service in the next decade.

Although BAE is guided by the UK government in its licensing agreement to supply Saudi Arabia, our recent interview with the company’s CFO Peter Lynas reveals the reality of the situation- these huge contracts with Saudi help sustain large numbers of well-paid UK jobs.

Despite some diplomatic bluster, we can’t afford to be too picky when choosing our current and future trading partners, especially in the tough economic conditions determined by the post-Brexit landscape.

Unfortunately, the realpolitik of this new new world is one we won’t be able to avoid.