Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

The problem with the UK’s Russian clamp down

The problem with the UK’s Russian clamp down

I’m no apologist for oligarchs, whether they be from Russia or anywhere else. I have been writing for years about how dirty money was flooding into London’s property market, helping to price out ordinary people who just want a home.
The government should have taken action decades ago to prevent kleptocrats from laundering their money through London property and their reputations through our libel courts.

These matters could have been addressed quite easily by prohibiting property from being held in the name of overseas private companies and by reforming libel laws to stop the wealthy from threatening journalists and anyone else with eyewatering legal bills.

Yet I feel uneasy at the speed at which things seem to have turned – to the point at which government ministers seem to feel entitled to seize property and other assets without much in the way of evidence that they are ill-gotten gains. Yesterday, housing secretary Michael Gove told a committee of MPs that the government was thinking of speeding up legislation to make it easier to seize assets under so-called 'unexplained wealth orders' – which force people to provide an explanation for how they came by their money, or lose it.

It might sound reasonable enough in the context of Putin’s cronies with property in London, but it runs somewhat counter to the principle of being innocent until proven guilty. Could I prove that every penny in my bank account, or every pound with which I bought my house two decades ago, was honestly earned? I am not sure the required documentation exists. It is all too easy to see how heavy-handed legislation passed hurriedly to deal with Putin’s cronies could end up being used against ordinary taxpayers.

What must it feel like to be an honest Russian business owner in Britain at the moment? Much as some might like to think of Russia as being made up entirely of oligarchs and peasants, such people do exist. They will have been chilled to hear Sir Roger Gale, Conservative MP for North Thanet, propose that every single Russian citizen living in Britain have their visa cancelled and be ejected from the country. Among the people Sir Roger would like to deport back to Russia are dissidents who came to Britain to escape Putin’s dictatorship, who already suffer the possibility of being served a dose of Novichok. They are people we need on our side; not trying to treat them as if they were the Russian leader’s henchmen. And to think that only a few weeks ago Sir Roger was trying to pose as the Conservative party’s moral conscience over partygate.

Go after Putin’s cronies by all means, and disarm their wealthy London lawyers (how about large fines for lawyers who use threatening letters, just as we prosecute Twitter users who made threats?). But please don’t let us descend even slightly towards the level of Putin by undermining the rule of law and having a state which helps itself to fistfuls of individuals’ money at a whim. And let’s stamp out anti-Russian prejudice before it has a chance to take hold. Ordinary Russians, just like Ukrainians, are Putin’s victims too.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
×