@suehawley
Exec Director at Spotlight on Corruption - working on fostering political integrity and ending the UK's role as a hub for kleptocratic assets https://linktr.ee/endcorruptionuk www.spotlightcorruption.org @spotlightcorruption.org
Following a third investigation by the standards commissioner in the Lords, Labour peer who introduced a firm in which he had a financial interest to the #COVID #PPE lane, has finally fallen on his sword. Great work by David Conn and @cbffjuk.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...
Our submission to the Bill Committee goes into a lot more detail - click on the link at the bottom for the full document. And I'm sure @suehawley.bsky.social can run you through it if you're interested in following up?
🎉 Really positive news coming from parliament that the government will scrap the Strategy and Policy Statement for the @electoralcommission.org.uk.
⚠️ We previously warned about the risks of keeping the statement in place in our report, Democracy in Danger 🧵 ⬇️
It is also a long way from the radical overhaul that former PM Gordon Brown called for at the weekend, and which is desperately needed. A ‘tinkering’ mindset on ethics reform is not enough to restore public trust. Here’s our executive director @suehawley.bsky.social’s take from earlier today 👇
Darren Jones has set out various things that the government is "considering" to bolster how ethics are upheld, including:
- considering changing the process for declaration of financial interests
- looking closely at how lobbying is managed
- revisiting the guidance on the use of informal comms...
💥 With public opinion of politicians at rock bottom, the government must urgently commit to root-and-branch reform of the way standards in public life are regulated or risk the future of the UK’s democracy, says @suehawley.bsky.social.
With an announcement due on beefing up ethics at 4pm ish (if political events don’t overtake it) here’s our take on where the government has gone wrong on restoring public trust so far and what needs to happen now @appgonacrt.bsky.social @joepowell.bsky.social @philbrickellmp.bsky.social
On Monday (9 Feb) MPs will debate a petition on Russian influence on UK politics and democracy.
Dan Jarvis MP, Minister of State, is expected to respond on behalf of the Government.
💰Today the Solicitors Regulation Authority has been told it’s on the hook for more than half a million pounds in legal costs to Claire Gill, after the regulator’s #SLAPPs case failed against the Carter-Ruck partner who acted for the $4 billion crypto-scam OneCoin.
Brilliant work by @patmillsuk.bsky.social which is turning out to be like a union for millionaires with a conscience. With great coverage in @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Tax the super rich. It's time to win.
When even millionaires, like us, recognise that extreme wealth has cost everyone else everything else, there can be no doubt that society is dangerously teetering off the edge of a precipice.
We want our democracies back. We want our communities back. We want our future back.
🎉 🥳 #UNCAC #CoSP11 adopted resolution on political finance transparency, making it the first-ever set of principles agreed at UN-level to promote accountability in funding of political parties and campaigns. Congrats, Norway, Albania, Ghana, Mongolia @anticorruption.bsky.social @ifes.bsky.social!
🚨BREAKING: The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal dismisses the case against Carter-Ruck's Claire Gill, in a shock decision that could give the green light for lawyers to continue to push the boundaries of what constitutes abusive litigation. #SLAPPs
@duncanhames.bsky.social of Transparency International has called for an investigation into this "cash for access operation"
As @suehawley.bsky.social says “It should not have to take undercover reporting to lift the lid on murky secretive access.”
As @suehawley.bsky.social says: “These kinds of rampant conflicts of interests in the House of Lords undermine public confidence."
@rosewhiff.bsky.social is right - “Shadow ministers [are] positioned to influence policy while benefiting financially from the very sectors they scrutinise.”
🚨 1 in 3 law firms are not compliant with anti-money laundering rules.
📈 But, the government has recently taken steps to address this issue.
💷 If implemented correctly, this move could be transformational for the UK's dirty money problem.
Learn more: ukanticorruptioncoalition.org/work/release...
It's certainly what they should be thinking....
Is democracy for sale? 💸
Join Jeff Clements, @petergeoghegan.bsky.social and @suehawley.bsky.social on 30 October @jesuscollegecam.bsky.social to discuss the role money plays in US and UK politics and ongoing efforts to curb corruption.
Reserve a free ticket: buytickets.at/intellectual...
Go get your @privateeyenews.bsky.social folks and buckle up for another incredible report by @rbrooks45.bsky.social on the Teeside development - a tale of insane #cronyism and #profiteering at taxpayer expense.
@csc-barrington.bsky.social @ethicsandintegrity.bsky.social
The government’s progress on ethical standards remains underwhelming. Any tightening is to be welcomed, but the idea that ministers “are expected”to repay severance if they break the rules simply underlines the absence of an enforceable legal duty
How big an impact will “minor reorganisation “ of UK ethics regulation bodies and the creation of advisory ethics commission with no enforcement powers have? Key question from @peterwalker99.bsky.social
Our evidence to Parliament warns real risk of not much.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Exc: The Electoral Commission has been given early notice of the UK's first ever crypto donation
The has been "made, but not declared", to a party understood to be Reform
Reform spox said: "All donations above the reporting limit will be disclosed in the usual way"
share.google/VvtjBjEjEjRa...
The donation is seen as a potential "watershed moment" in political funding.
@suehawley.bsky.social of @spotlightcorruption.org warned that neither parties nor the EC have the expertise to prevent anonymous donations, leaving the UK "extremely vulnerable" to hostile states and organised crime
Great story on details emerging from court documents @spotlightcorruption.org worked with @tbij.bsky.social @fpcthinktank.bsky.social @danneidle.bsky.social and others to get released in One Coin case.
These look like very questionable tactics from Carter Ruck solicitor to discredit police officer investigating a client for major fraud. Real questions as to why SRA is not investigating them as breach of lawyers code of conduct www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...
Thanks Dan. We at @spotlightcorruption.org think Director disqualification in this case could lead to compensation orders. These can be used against shadow directors and those who control a company. Be interested if anyone else who is an insolvency lawyer has other ideas.
🚨 BREAKING: UKACC has arrived at the Labour Party conference, and the new chair of the @appgonacrt.bsky.social, @philbrickellmp.bsky.social is ready to get to work.
Come and find us at our events across Liverpool: ukanticorruptioncoalition.org/labour
This is big and a really good piece of policing and prosecutorial work - bribes to help foreign states get a more favourable hearing in parliaments and with the public should never have a place in the UK or Europe.
'Probably the biggest misspending scandal in the UK of all time' - ITV's rigorous & powerful film 'The Covid Contracts, Follow the Money' is a must-watch.
Pleased to contribute to this film for @transparencyuk.bsky.social alongside @suehawley.bsky.social & many others.
www.itv.com/watch/the-co...
Explosive insights about Carter-Ruck's tactics to shut down scrutiny of OneCoin's $3 billion crypto fraud after our work with @danneidle.bsky.social @tbij.bsky.social @fpcthinktank.bsky.social including attempts to get an FCA warning notice taken down:
www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...
