TIMES.KY

Cayman Islands, Caribbeanand International News
Monday, Mar 20, 2023

0:00
0:00

Britain must do more to tackle corruption in politics and finance, lawmaker says

Britain has lost its moral compass and must act to tackle "dirty money" and protect the integrity of its democracy, a senior opposition lawmaker said in a report published on Monday by King's College London.
Margaret Hodge, a Labour lawmaker for 28 years and former head of parliament's Public Accounts Committee, said a culture of deregulation and light-touch enforcement had allowed financial malpractice to flourish and this was seeping in to politics.

"Unacceptable behaviour is in danger of becoming commonplace," Hodge, who chairs a cross-party parliamentary group on anticorruption and responsible tax, said in the report for the Policy Institute.

"Bad behaviours that are present in our economic sphere are emerging with greater regularity in our politics and our public sphere."

The government has set out plans for new legislation to tackle illicit finance and reduce economic crime.

Hodge said Britain needed greater transparency to better follow money flows in the financial sector and expose public sector decision making to more scrutiny.

Stronger regulation to punish financial crime and corrupt behaviour in the public domain and better enforcement are also needed, she said, as well as reinforcing the institutions that act as a check on the government's power.

Opposition politicians have accused the government of running a "chumocracy" during the coronavirus pandemic, saying it awarded deals to those with links to people in power, including for what turned out to be unusable personal protective equipment (PPE) in some cases.

In January a court found the government acted unlawfully by setting up a fast-track "VIP lane" to allow ministers and officials to recommend suppliers of PPE.

"We have lost our moral compass; taxpayers’ money is being wasted and misused to the detriment of our public services; and we are in danger of forfeiting our international status as a trusted jurisdiction," Hodge said. "It is not too late to turn back the tide."
Newsletter

Related Articles

TIMES.KY
Close
0:00
0:00
Home Secretary Suella Braverman tours potential migrant housing in Rwanda as asylum deal remains mired in legal challenges
Paris Rioting vs Macron anti democratic law
'Sexual Fantasy' Assignment At US School Outrages Parents
Credit Suisse to borrow $54 billion from Swiss central bank
Russian Hackers Preparing New Cyber Assault Against Ukraine
Jeremy Hunt insists his Budget will get young parents and over-50s back into work
If this was in Tehran, Moscow or Hong Kong
TRUMP: "Standing before you today, I am the only candidate who can make this promise: I will prevent World War III."
Mexican President Claims Mexico is Safer than the U.S.
A brief banking situation report
Lady bites police officer and gets instantly reaction
We are witnessing widespread bank fails and the president just gave a 5 min speech then walked off camera.
Donald Trump's asked by Tucker Carlson question on if the U.S. should support regime change in Russia?.
Silicon Valley Bank exec was Lehman Brothers CFO
In a potential last-ditch effort, HSBC is considering a rescue deal to save Silicon Valley Bank UK from insolvency
BBC Director General, Tim Davie, has apologized, but not resigned, yet, following the disruption of sports programmes over the weekend
Elon Musk Is Planning To Build A Town In Texas For His Employees
The Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse effect is spreading around the world, affecting startup companies across the globe
City officials in Berlin announced on Thursday that all swimmers at public pools will soon be allowed to swim topless
Fitness scam
Market Chaos as USDC Loses Peg to USD after $3.3 Billion Reserves Held by Silicon Valley Bank Closed.
Senator Tom Cotton: If the Mexican Government Won’t Stop Cartels from Killing Americans, Then U.S. Government Should
Banking regulators close SVB, the largest bank failure since the financial crisis
The unelected UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, an immigrant himself, defends new controversial crackdown on illegal migration
Man’s penis amputated by mistake after he’s wrongly diagnosed with a tumour
In a major snub to Downing Street's Silicon Valley dreams, UK chip giant Arm has dealt a serious blow to the government's economic strategy by opting for a US listing
It's the question on everyone's lips: could a four-day workweek be the future of employment?
Is Gold the Ultimate Safe Haven Asset in Times of Uncertainty?
Spain officials quit over trains that were too wide for tunnels...
Don Lemon, a CNN anchor, has provided a list of five areas that he believes the black community needs to address.
Hello. Here is our news digest from London.
Corruption and Influence Buying Uncovered in International Mainstream Media: Investigation Reveals Growing Disinformation Mercenaries
Givenchy Store in New York Robbed of $50,000 in Merchandise
European MP Clare Daly condemns US attack on Nord Stream
Former U.S. President Carter will spend his remaining time at home and receive hospice care instead of medication
Tucker Carlson called Trump a 'demonic force'
US Joins 15 NATO Nations in Largest Space Data Collection Initiative in History
White House: No ETs over the United States
U.S. Jet Shoots Down Flying Object Over Canada
Being a Tiktoker might be expensive…
SpaceX, the private space exploration company, made a significant breakthrough in their mission to reach space.
China's top tech firms, including Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu, NetEase, and JD.com, are developing their own versions of Open AI's AI-powered chatbot, ChatGPT
This shocking picture, showing how terrible is the results of the earthquake in Turkey
President Joe Biden delivered the 2023 State of the Union Address , in order to help Americans that missed the 2022 speech, do not have internet, and suffer from short memory.
The desk of King Carlos Alberto of Sardinia has many secret compartments
Today's news from Britain - 9th February 2023
The five largest oil companies in the West generated combined profits of nearly $200 billion in 2022, which has led to increased calls for governments to impose tougher windfall taxes
2 earthquakes in Turkey killed over 2,300 people
Powerful Earthquake Strikes Turkey and Syria, Killing More Than 1,300 People.
Turkish photographer Ugur Gallenkus portrays two different worlds within a single image. Brilliant work
×