13th December 2017, London – Addressing Transparency International’s 2017 Anti-Corruption Lecture David Cameron, former British Prime Minister, described the London property markets as ‘a giant piggy bank’ for overseas kleptocrats, and said a public register of the true owners of overseas companies that own UK property is “the missing piece of the jigsaw”. In his first public lecture since leaving office, entitled “Corruption: More than a Cancer”, Mr. Cameron assessed corruption trends at home and abroad including:

• The growing phenomenon of corruption as an important national security issue
• His experience of the 2018 World Cup bidding process, which in his view was corrupt
• The link between developed and developing countries on corruption including how:
  • Stolen wealth from developing countries is often hidden in developed countries, such as in the property market described as “a giant piggy bank”.
  • British law firms and PR agencies facilitating corruption
• Autocratic states deliberately using corruption as a “foreign policy weapon”
  • Propaganda to interfere in other countries affairs
  • Buying influence through gifts and donations
  • Influencing through coercion
• “Dangerous” moves by Donald Trump in attacking the press as “fake news”
• Reflections on working with Nigeria after describing them as “fantastically corrupt”

Mr. Cameron also used the lecture to pay tribute to the work of Transparency International and its chapters around the world, describing its work as having “raised awareness like no one else”.

Robert Barrington, Executive Director Transparency International UK, said:

“As Prime Minister, Mr. Cameron said and did more on the subject of corruption than any UK Prime Minister in living memory, rightly identifying it as one of today’s major global challenges.  We were therefore delighted to have Mr. Cameron deliver our 2017 Annual Lecture and give us some personal insight into why he took this issue so seriously, as well as a realistic assessment of the state of corruption in the world today. We now hope that this current Government delivers on some of its outstanding commitments, such as transparent register of overseas companies owning UK property.”

***ENDS***

Notes:

1. Full text of the speech is available here 
2. Images from the event can be used by the media to be credited "Christopher Johnson Photography, on behalf of Transparency International UK".
3. David Cameron was TI's 9th Annual Lecture speaker. Previous speakers have included Baroness Scotland, Dame Margaret Hodge, Jose Ugaz and Clare Short.

Contact:

Dominic Kavakeb

020 3096 7695

079 6456 0340

dominic.kavakeb@transparency.org.uk