James Bolton-Jones
Senior Advocacy AdvisorAbout
James Bolton-Jones has private and public sector experience in investigative and policy research on corruption and financial crime. He read modern and medieval languages (French, Russian and Ukrainian) at the University of Cambridge, and has an MA in Russian and Post-Soviet Politics from UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies.
Posts by James Bolton-Jones
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Can the next UK General Election be protected from dirty money?
6 January, 2023Dr Susan Hawley
James Bolton-Jones
It has long been known that existing electoral law does not do enough to safeguard UK political parties from foreign influence and dirty money. The 2020 Russia report by the...
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UK government finally commits to reforming corporate criminal liability
26 January, 2023James Bolton-Jones
Dr Susan Hawley
Yesterday the government signalled it will introduce amendments on corporate criminal liability reform in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill. We strongly welcome this major development on an issue...
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Anti-corruption commitments in the integrated review refresh – do they stack up?
15 March, 2023James Bolton-Jones
While most analyses of the newly published Integrated Review refresh (IR2023) – which sets out the UK’s overarching national security and international strategy – have focused on defence spending and...
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No new Government investment in the Economic Crime Plan threatens delivery
30 March, 2023Dr Susan Hawley
Dr Daniel Beizsley
James Bolton-Jones
The Economic Crime Plan is a really welcome set of commitments from the government but needs to be matched by much more ambitious public investment, including in training, if the...
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The government missed a trick to fight fraud and corruption in its new Procurement Bill
20 June, 2023Dr Susan Hawley
James Bolton-Jones
Dr Daniel Beizsley
Last week, the government failed to back key amendments to the new Procurement Bill (which had strong cross-party support) that would have significantly strengthened the UK’s ability to tackle fraud...
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Briefing: Safeguarding the UK’s Electoral System from Foreign Interference
20 June, 2023George Havenhand
James Bolton-Jones
In March, the House of Lords passed an amendment to the National Security Bill to require UK political parties to identify and manage the risks of donations from foreign powers....
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Double standards: If APPGs should know the true source of their funds, why shouldn’t political parties?
20 July, 2023James Bolton-Jones
Earlier this month, the government accepted and enlarged upon recommendations from Parliament’s Committee on Standards for stronger rules for the UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) – the informal groups that...
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UK government misses key opportunities to strengthen the Economic Crime Bill
5 September, 2023James Bolton-Jones
The government on Monday resisted key amendments to the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill despite strong cross-party support including from prominent and well-respected former Conservative law officers. These amendments...
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The UK must up its game on asset recovery to tackle corruption and kleptocracy
15 September, 2023James Bolton-Jones
Just how much does the UK recover from corruption? Annual asset recovery statistics published last week show some modest progress in the UK’s asset recovery performance, with a strong showing...
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Briefing: ongoing lobbying loopholes despite recent government commitments to reform
17 October, 2023James Bolton-Jones
After reforms to lobbying rules are eventually implemented, there will still be no requirement to disclose non-diarised informal lobbying in departments’ transparency releases, even if it impacts upon or shapes...
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How will the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act help fight corruption, and does it go far enough?
27 October, 2023James Bolton-Jones
Dr Susan Hawley
Introduced in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which highlighted the UK’s role as a hub for illicit Russian money, the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (ECCTA)...
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OFSI report reveals lack of Russia sanctions enforcement action
15 December, 2023James Bolton-Jones
Dr Susan Hawley
Yesterday the Office for Financial Sanctions Implementation’s (OFSI) annual review landed, with some alarming news. In the nearly two years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, despite £22.7 billion of...
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Joint briefing: Rebuilding trust in politics and restoring integrity in public life
9 January, 2024James Bolton-Jones
Spotlight on Corruption and Transparency International UK have produced a joint briefing ahead of a debate in the House of Lords on 11 January 2024 on parliamentary democracy and standards in public life....
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New SFO director Nick Ephgrave matches ambition with innovation in his first public speech
14 February, 2024Dr Helen Taylor
James Bolton-Jones
Giving his first public speech yesterday as the new Director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), Nick Ephgrave set out his stall for how the agency will become faster, bolder...
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The first UK sanctions strategy – our analysis
26 February, 2024James Bolton-Jones
Dr Susan Hawley
The government unveiled its first ever UK sanctions strategy last week to coincide with the two-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. There is no doubt that this anniversary...
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The tip of the iceberg? Our analysis of manifesto commitments on corruption
28 June, 2024James Bolton-Jones
What do UK political parties’ manifestos say about addressing corruption and related issues? In this blog we look at parties’ manifesto commitments on corruption, specifically in the following areas: This...
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Behind closed doors: how arbitration conceals corruption and what the UK should do about it
23 August, 2024Dr Susan Hawley
James Bolton-Jones
Several recent major court cases in the UK have shown how vulnerable arbitration can be to abuse by corrupt actors. As a major centre for international arbitration – settling disputes...
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Forging a virtuous circle: Reinvesting fines and criminal assets to turbocharge the fight against economic crime
4 November, 2024James Bolton-Jones
The UK agencies tasked with fighting economic crime together generate £566 million pounds on average each year for the government through seizing criminal assets and imposing regulatory and criminal fines....
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Feeble sanctions enforcement on display at Commons hearing, but could this change soon?
28 November, 2024James Bolton-Jones
Dr Helen Taylor
Weak enforcement has long been the Achilles’ heel of the UK’s fight against economic crime, and the early signs suggest that sanctions enforcement is unlikely to be an exception to...
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Clear as mud: The UK’s lobbying transparency deficit
29 November, 2024Dr Susan Hawley
George Havenhand
James Bolton-Jones
Last night the government’s latest departmental lobbying transparency data dropped – two months late. So late in fact that the content is primarily of historical interest: the data relates to...
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