The Home Office has published the latest UK Anti-Corruption strategy. It builds on the 2017-2022 strategy and includes 123 commitments to tackle and build resilience to corruption. It complements and builds on the Economic Crime Plan, and will also be complemented by a new, expanded Fraud Strategy, and in time a new AML and Asset Recovery Strategy. The Anti-Corruption Strategy’s main aims are:
- to strengthen enforcement against corruption;
- to support industry to prevent and identify corrupt activity – it highlights the reform of AML supervision of professional services firms as a key part of this, but also plans further initiatives such as better online resources and a review of the whistleblowing system, and has not ruled out expanding the scope of the MLRs to respond to emerging risks;
- to tackle weaknesses in vulnerable sectors – it specifically calls out the football sector, and an initiative to combat SLAPPs, with further work also on how the UK regime responds to the threat of kleptocracy;
- to restore public trust with the creation of a new Ethics and Integrity Commission;
- to provide UK leadership to tackle global corruption; and
- to increase transparency, not least by setting clear expectations on Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories as to when they should be introducing their enhanced registers of beneficial ownership.