James Bolton-Jones

⏰Last chance to apply for this role which closes at midnight on this coming Saturday (14 Feb)!

⌛ Just a couple of days left to apply for this tremendous comms role!
🕚 The deadline is 23:30 on Saturday night.

🤔 Corruption may seem far away from our normal lives. But it’s actually in our communities, our economy, and our politics too.

🌍 It’s a whole-of-society problem that needs a whole-of-society solution.

🗣️That’s what we’re calling for here at UKACC — and we want you to join us 🫵

Nearly every trail of dirty money leads to a shell company in the British Virgin Islands or another UK-linked financial centre.

It’s time for the UK to end the corporate secrecy in its Overseas Territories that enables global financial crime.

British overseas territories miss final deadline to crack down on ‘dirty money’ Island havens accused of ‘defying the will of parliament’ after failing to initiate corporate transparency measures

👇 Really important story from @byrobdavies.bsky.social on the ongoing failure of British overseas territories to honour their pledges to introduce accessible registers of company ownership – a key tool in the fight against dirty money.

👇 Great report from our friends at @influencemap.bsky.social on how the UK’s feeble efforts on lobbying transparency have undermined the policy response to one of the world’s most pressing challenges: climate change.

👉 Thanks to a top piece of investigative work by Kabir Yusuf from @premiumtimesng.bsky.social we now know that the Lady Mayoress, Abigail Katung - who is also the wife of Nigerian Senator, Sunday Katung - is alleged to have used the black market to transfer funds to the UK to buy the property.

The first Economic Crime Levy report: our analysis - Spotlight on Corruption The first report on the Economic Crime Levy (ECL) published by the Treasury demonstrates both the strengths and limitations of this new funding mechanism.

👀 The Treasury recently published the first report on the Economic Crime Levy (ECL). In our new blog we argue that this new funding mechanism for tackling economic crime has notable strengths but also real limitations.

👇 Great spot by @owenboswarva.bsky.social. We thought this was likely the case but it is nevertheless disappointing to see it confirmed by Cabinet Office Minister @georgiagould.bsky.social yesterday:

Spotlight is recruiting! We are looking for a new lead for our Defending Democracy work - Spotlight on Corruption Spotlight on Corruption has an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated individual to lead our work on defending UK democracy, by pushing for reforms that

🤔 Not a fan of corruption?
❗Interested in ways to improve trust in politics?
😃 Keen to work alongside our small friendly team?
🫵 You might be the person we're looking for!
@spotlightcorruption.org is recruiting a new lead for our work on #DefendingDemocracy
Deadline: 16/3/25
More details below 👇

Crime and Policing Bill: Proceeds of crime factsheet

✌️ Victory! @spotlightcorruption.org is delighted to see our campaign to give law enforcement agencies greater protection from legal costs when pursuing the assets of deep-pocketed crooks has been successful. The measure has been included in the new Crime Bill announced in Parliament this week 👇.

Promise vs practice: Why Britain's new ministerial gift register misses the mark Government's attempt to enhance transparency through a new register system leaves much to be desired in both form and function.

🆕 BLOG 🆕

Keir Starmer's ministerial code promised a new register of ministerial gifts and hospitality.

Now, as the first set of transparency records under these new rules are published, Rose Whiffen looks at what has actually been delivered.

www.transparency.org.uk/news/promise...

Trump has given kleptocrats the green light With the US abandoning the fight against corruption Britain must improve its lacklustre record

👓 WHAT WE'RE READING – 5 stories from the anti-corruption world
😓 It's been a terrible few weeks but it has produced some brilliant and important writing.
1️⃣ @thetimes.com: A fired-up @edwardlucas.bsky.social calls on the UK to up its anti-corruption game in response to developments in the US.

Open Access UK: monitor lobbying meetings with in the UK Who’s #lobbying the UK? Check Open Access UK

✨🔍 NEW 🔍✨

We’ve just added 6000+ new meetings to our Open Access database of Westminster and (now) Holyrood meetings with external organisations.

Check out the new data here ⤵️ openaccess.transparency.org.uk

📨 We'll shortly be sending out our latest newsletter, with commentary from @suehawley.bsky.social, our submissions to the spending review and the @legalservicesboard.bsky.social, and a job advert 🫵.
✍️ Sign up at our website if you would like to receive it:
www.spotlightcorruption.org/newsletter/

📢 Awesome opportunity to join the team at Spotlight on Corruption and work on an incredibly important and interesting topic. Apply via the link below and please share with anyone you think would be a good fit for the role👇

👏Great to see @mp4stratford.bsky.social sky.social highlighting the urgent need for political finance reforms to protect our democracy from undue influence. We look forward to seeing the details of the Political Donations Bill when it returns to @houseofcommons.parliament.uk

Spotlight on Corruption's latest newsletter is out! Highlights of this month's newsletter include details of our work on political finance and standards in public life; a missed opportunity to improve anti-money laundering regulation of the legal profe...

📨 Our latest newsletter is winging its way to our subscribers' inboxes right now!
👇 If you are not already a subscriber, click below to see what's on offer.
✍️ And sign up at our website if you would like to receive future editions: www.spotlightcorruption.org/newsletter/

📨 We'll shortly be sending out our latest newsletter, packed with great stories about all the work we did in January.
✍️ Sign up at our website if you would like to receive it:
www.spotlightcorruption.org/newsletter/

Proper investigation of Abramovich’s tax affairs is essential, particularly in light of concerns that HMRC is failing to use all the tools available to pursue wealthy individuals and companies. It doesn't matter how rich you are - everyone should have to pay their fair share.

Transparency and freedom of information releases Find transparency and freedom of information releases from government

📢 The latest publication of departmental transparency releases is out today. This will show who the new government has been meeting with in its first months in power…

www.gov.uk/search/trans...

Foreign donors: Parliamentary pressure grows for ambitious reforms to the UK’s political finance regime - Spotlight on Corruption Galvanised by the prospect of foreign donors – including a certain US-based tech billionaire – potentially contributing to UK political parties, over the last

👀 A recent flurry of parliamentary interventions is piling pressure on the UK Government to introduce major reforms to the UK’s political finance rules. While the Govt’s promise to introduce reforms is welcome, there is no time to lose.

👇 Really good piece from my colleague George on Lord Anderson's new ethics bill. "Steps to bolster the regulation of standards in public life are long overdue. Here is a ready-made Bill to do just that. The govt should ... throw their weight behind this well-considered ... piece of legislation."

Tulip Siddiq urged to step back from anti-corruption duties Siddiq, whose role includes tackling corruption in UK financial markets, has been named in an anti-corruption investigation in Bangladesh.

🚨 Statement 🚨

We have called for the City Minister Tulip Siddiq to relinquish the anti-corruption duties of her role.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

1/8

@spotlightcorruption.org will be keeping a close eye on what the government says in response to these questions and whether it sets a firm timeline for reform.

🤔 Read about what could be done to reform political finance rules here: www.spotlightcorruption.org/wp-content/u...

There's obviously lots of interest in this topic atm and the government is under pressure to say what it will do to close huge loopholes that allow non-UK voters (including a certain US billionaire) to potentially donate to British political parties.

Oral questions - What's on - UK Parliament Controlling or limiting donations from abroad to British political parties

3️⃣ And finally, on the Wednesday after next Lord Dubs will ask about "Controlling or limiting donations from abroad to British political parties": whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal50159

This all comes after political finance was a key topic at last weeks PMQs.

2️⃣On Thursday, MPs @joepowell.bsky.social and @amcarmichaelmp.bsky.social will ask about the "merits of banning foreign donations to UK political parties" and the "adequacy of the rules on donations by non-UK citizens to political parties": whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal49913

1️⃣ On Wednesday, former Home Office Minister Lord Blunkett will ask about the Electoral Commission's powers to prevent political parties from receiving funding from outside of the UK: whatson.parliament.uk/event/cal50082

👀 A few things coming up in Parliament this and next week for anyone interested in what the Government should do to reform the UK's Swiss-🧀-style political finance laws.