Dear TIPS Member,
In January 2024, Transparency International released its annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). The CPI draws upon several different surveys of business leaders and experts to score and rank countries by their perceived level of public sector corruption.
The UK’s score hit an all-time low this year and UK now sits at 20th in the global ranking. The UK’s score is the most significant drop in Western Europe in the past five years (-9), putting it ahead of countries like Poland (-6) and Austria, and globally alongside the likes of Myanmar (-9), Nicaragua (-8) and Turkey (-7). Issues relating to Covid-19 pandemic procurement processes, lobbying and money in politics and patronage in the award of public honours have contributed to the UK’s CPI decline.
Among other things, TI-UK has called for the government to take decisive action:
Place ethics watchdogs and codes they oversee on a statutory footing.
Capping political donations and reducing campaign spending limits and reporting thresholds.
Appointing an anti-corruption champion in government.
Please see below the TIPS Newsletter for January 2024. We look forward to seeing you soon.
- the TIPS team
1. Upcoming Events (register on our Events page)
TIPS Event | Emerging Trends in UK and International Corruption Enforcement | 27 February 2024, 7-8pm GMT
Sustainability or Greenwashing – the changing landscape | 28 February 2024, 5-8pm GMT
ICC Conference: “New Rules for New Times” | 9 February 2024
2. Recent events
TIPS | Will the next UK General Election be safe from dirty money and influence?
On 23 January 2024, TIPS welcomed members Dr Helen Taylor, George Havenhand, and James Bolton-Jones from Spotlight on Corruption to discuss the risks of corrupt influence on the next UK General Election.
They highlighted a ‘litany of loopholes’ in the UK’s political party financing legislation and enforcement as well as the Electoral Commission’s lack of independence as key areas of risk for the election. The panel also described Spotlight's work to monitor key court cases with electoral implications and set out Spotlight's advocacy for political parties to implement 'know your donor' policies to support greater transparency in political party financing.
A big thank you to the panellists, to Will Bullock Jenkins for moderating, and Mayer Brown for hosting..
3. Jobs Board
4. Items of Interest
TI publications.
Briefing on Parliamentary Democracy and Standards in Public Life (joint briefing with Spotlight on Corruption). See here.
TI blogs.
Podcasts.
The Corruption Diaries: a journey through the eyes of anti-corruption veterans. Listen here.
Corruption Crime & Compliance with Michael Volkov. Listen here.
The Dark Money Files: explaining to a non-technical audience how ‘dark money’ enters the financial system. Listen here.
Daily Compliance News with Tom Fox. Listen here.
Kickback: The Global Anticorruption Podcast, host Liz-David Barret interviews the Deputy Executive Director of TI Sri Lanka, Sankhitha Gunaratne. Listen here.
Other items.
Moneyball: The Financial Entanglement Threatening the Integrity of Spanish Football. See here.
How the Azerbaijani Government Corrupts Western Democracies with “Caviar Diplomacy”. See here.
Will the UK’s new anti-corruption strategy be a paper tiger or slay the dragon? See here.
Briefing: tackling serious fraud and corruption against the government. See here.
5. One Minute Reads
New One Minute Reads have been uploaded to the TIPS website. Please do click the link to read more – perfect for your morning/evening WFH coffee break!
6. Support TI-UK directly by joining Friends of TI-UK!
As a friend of TI-UK you will receive updates from TI-UK directly about TI-UK's ground-breaking research & advocacy campaigns. Your subscription will also support TI-UK's ongoing work across the UK, Business, Health, Defence & Security initiatives. Find out more here.
7. Focus on...
Dr Ahmed Shawky
Founder and Managing Director | LevelUp Ltd
TIPS member
What is your background?
I am the Founder and Managing Director of LevelUp Ltd., a London-based corporate sustainability technology and consulting firm. I hold a doctorate focused on mitigating greenwashing and improving ESG assurance from Durham University, as well as an MSc in Leadership and Strategy from London Business School.
My career has spanned over two decades across the global consulting, audit, compliance, and corporate governance spaces. I previously served as Chief Audit & Compliance Officer for two conglomerates and now I serve on boards and audit committees in the third sector. Through my diverse background, I aim to contribute to making sustainable and good business practices accessible for every business, in particular third sector and SMEs.
Please describe your experience as part of the TIPS network.
I was drawn to TIPS because of our shared commitment to transparency, sustainability, and ethics - values I am passionate about professionally and personally. As an advisor to multiple businesses, TIPS provides an excellent opportunity to connect and collaborate with like-minded professionals who also aim to drive positive impact. I am excited to exchange insights with the community and contribute my expertise developed over 20+ years in this space. Ultimately, TIPS' vision perfectly aligns with my own - leveraging collective knowledge to promote ethical and sustainable practices.
Connect with Ahmed on LinkedIn.