Order an inquiry into Putin-linked cash in British politics

To: Rishi Sunak

We, the undersigned, are concerned at this time of tension with Russia about the influence of Vladimir Putin’s regime in UK politics

• We note that that the Conservative Party received significant amounts of money from Russian donors and their associates, including from people with apparent links to Putin’s government..
• We note that oligarchs and officials from former Soviet republics with high levels of corruption have purchased more than £2bn worth of property in the UK.
• We note that more than 200 Russian millionaires have bought their way into the UK in the last seven years, despite the government’s pledge in 2015 to stop corrupt oligarchs exploiting the system.
• We note that parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee’s “Russia Report” found that “Russian influence in the UK is ‘the new normal’”.
• We note that the same report recommended that there should be an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 Brexit referendum, something which has not happened yet.

The above points raise serious questions about the extent to which Putin’s administration - or people linked to it - might be able to interfere in British public life.

At a time when Putin’s administration threatens global peace, we cannot simply hope for the best. We call on you to immediately order an inquiry into whether or not money linked to Vladimir Putin’s regime is influencing UK politics.

7290 signatures