With Local authorities in England spending around £148.9bn a year, sturdy accountability and corruption prevention measures are essential if the taxpayer is to obtain greatest value for money.
Date & Time: 09 October 2013, 18:00-20:30
Location: Norton Rose, 3 More London Riverside, SE1 2AQ, London, United Kingdom
With Local authorities in England spending around £148.9bn a year, sturdy accountability and corruption prevention measures are essential if the taxpayer is to obtain greatest value for money.
Corruption distorts the allocation of local resources and the performance of local governments. The traditional consequences of corruption are poor public services, increased social polarisation, inefficiency in public services, and decreased economic growth.
Transparency International UK (TI-UK) has concerns that recently passed legislation could seriously undermine the oversight structures that have helped to reduce corruption in local government and, as an unintended consequence, create an environment that greatly increases the risk of corruption.
TI-UK will be publishing a paper on corruption in local government on the 9th October 2013. This event will launch the report and feature a presentation of its main findings, as well facilitating discussion and debate on the issue through a pannel discussion.
Timing
18.00 Registration
18.30 Discussion
20.00 Drinks reception
20.30 Close
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff,
Wednesday 30 September,
18.00 - 20.00
There is no doubt that the lobbying environment in the UK and the frequency of lobbying scandals have affected public faith in the political process and fuelled the crisis of trust in politics and political parties. Lobbying takes place across the UK and each political institution experiences it differently: yet the opportunity for the abuse, rather than the act of lobbying itself, is the heart of the problem.
In February we launched ‘Lifting the Lid on Lobbying’, a report that describes several risks of corrupt behaviour in lobbying and evaluates, across the UK and devolved nations, the gaps in the rules that permit an environment conducive to corruption to flourish. For the first time, this research compares the wide variations across the UK in the approach to maintaining the integrity and transparency of public institutions and decision making.
We have further developed a policy paper on lobbying risk and regulation in the devolved institutions. The report’s findings indicate that there is much to be done in order to tackle the risks to our institutions, not least the ability of lobbyists to conceal their interests and activity, the role of ‘big money’ in political donations, the ‘revolving door’ between public and private sectors, and the role of external and unaccountable expertise brought in to inform government policy.
Please join us on Wednesday 30 September to hear about the findings in our research and discuss how we can strengthen lobbying regulations in the National Assembly for Wales.
Venue:
Wales Millennium Centre, Seligman Room
Bute Place
Cardiff Bay
CF10 5AL
Panel:
Mick Antoniw AM (Chair of the Standards of Conduct Committee)
Elizabeth David-Barrett (Lead Author, Lifting the Lid on Lobbying)
Stephen Brooks (Electoral Reform Society)
18.00: Registration
18.30: Event begin
19:30: Drinks reception
Please register via: lobbyingwales.eventbrite.co.uk
With financial support from the Prevention of and Fight against Crime Programme of the European Union.
European Commission – Directorate-General Home Affairs
The UK Anti-Corruption Plan was published in December 2014, with 66 Actions for tackling corruption and coordinating the Government's response to the problem. But how good is the plan? And will it make a difference?
Date & Time: 9 March 2015, 6pm
The Government recently published the UK’s first ever Anti-Corruption Plan, with 66 Actions for tackling corruption and coordinating the Government’s response to the problem.
How good is the plan? And will it make a difference?
This event gives an opportunity for TI-UK supporters to speak to the Government about its plans to tackle corruption and to ask any questions they may have.
Creon Butler, Director of the European and Global Issues Secretariat in the Cabinet Office, will be speaking.
Sam Eastwood, Partner at Norton Rose Fulbright and TI-UK trustee will also be on the panel.
Additional panelists to be confirmed.
Please register using the Eventbrite form below.
Venue:
Norton Rose Fulbright
3 More London Riverside
London SE1 2AQ
Timings:
18:00 Registration
18:30 Presentations and Q&A
19:30 Drinks reception
Inaugural meeting between Civil Society and the UK Government’s Anti-Corruption Champion
Impact Hub Westminster,
Thursday 1 October
18.00 - 20.00
The current UK Government has recognised the damaging nature of corruption, and put it at the top of its agenda of problems to stamp out. Earlier this year, Prime Minister David Cameron gave a speech in Singapore in which he vowed to take a stand against corruption, at home and abroad, and announced that London would host an International Anti-Corruption Summit in 2016.
In light of this announcement, Transparency International UK (TI-UK) is bringing together civil society organisations and individuals to discuss the Government’s plans for tackling corruption with newly-appointed UK Anti-Corruption Champion, Sir Eric Pickles MP.
The purpose of this event is to hear directly from the Government about its upcoming anti-corruption agenda, and hear from civil society their recommendations to the Government ahead of the International Anti-Corruption Summit. We hope to have a fruitful discussion about how the Government should best tackle international corruption, UK corruption and the UK’s role in corruption overseas.
Venue:
Please register your attendance here: ukgovtacklingcorruption.eventbrite.co.uk