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UK falls to new low in global corruption scale over party donations and Mandelson-Epstein scandals

Britain has fallen to a new low on the global corruption index as political turmoil over party donations and Sir Keir Starmer’s government struggles to recover from the Epstein-Mandelson scandal.

On a scale of 0 to 100, the UK has now fallen to 70, marking the lowest point since the Corruption Perceptions Index underwent a major revamp in 2012. The UK is ranked 20th on the list for the third year in a row, despite previously being in the top ten.

Transparency International, a campaign group dedicated to exposing corruption, has compiled a league table of experts and business leaders rating 182 countries on their perceived levels of public sector corruption.

In a statement on its website, Transparency International said: “The past decade in the UK has seen major domestic scandals, compliments and honors given to political donors, and MPs working to pay clients and work as lobbyists for corrupt regimes.”

The authors highlighted that the report comes at a time when the government finds itself ” mired in scandal ” over the relationship between sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and former UK ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson, which raises serious questions about Sir Keir’s decision.

Other issues damaging corruption levels in the UK include record spending by political parties on election campaigns; which “increases” trust in wealthy supporters, with the Conservatives accepting £15 million from a single donor. This is understood to be a reference to businessman Frank Hester, who was accused of making racist comments about former Labor MP Diane Abbott.

Sir Keir Starmer has come under scrutiny over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador despite his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein

Sir Keir Starmer has come under scrutiny over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador despite his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein (P.A.)

The report also stated that the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, is considering donating $100 million (£85 million) to Nigel Farage’s party, Reform UK.

Labor has also been accused of demanding cash in exchange for political access, with donor Waheed Alli receiving a privileged pass to Downing Street. The news comes shortly after Sir Keir donated luxury clothes to his wife Victoria.

Daniel Bruce, Transparency International’s UK chief executive, said: “The UK has remained 20th on the Corruption Perceptions Index for three years running, with a score that has continued to deteriorate. This persistent decline is not a temporary blip; it risks becoming a defining feature of our political culture.”

“The data collection period for this year’s index covers some of the highest-spending political campaigns on record, alongside troubling reports of cash-for-access arrangements and questionable appointment processes. Unless we take decisive action to combat the corrupting influence of big money in politics and strengthen anti-corruption frameworks, these concerns will become the new normal.”

“The UK government must show that it is serious about restoring integrity. This means taking bold action to remove huge amounts of money from politics, deliver truly open government and end the cronyism that undermines public confidence in our institutions.”

The United States dropped to its lowest score ever with 64 points, falling behind Lithuania from 28th to 29th.

US drops to lowest ranking ever

US drops to lowest ranking ever (P.A.)

Transparency International noted that the responsibility to prevent corruption had been “severely tested” by the second Trump administration in the US, with delays in the implementation of anti-money laundering rules and the new ‘Gold Card’ visa scheme, which meant that people who invested large sums of money in the country would be granted US residence rights.

It also noted “the use of public office to target and restrict independent voices such as NGOs and journalists, the normalization of contradictory and transactional policies, the politicization of prosecutorial decision-making, and actions that undermine the independence of the judiciary.”

Only seven countries ranked above 80, with Denmark coming out on top with 89 points, followed by Finland and Singapore. New Zealand, Norway and Sweden also made it into the top ten, while South Sudan was at the bottom of the list with nine points. In addition, the most corrupt countries in the world were Somalia, Venezuela, Yemen and Libya.

A government spokesman said: “This government is committed to tackling corruption and protecting working people’s hard-earned money. Our anti-corruption strategy directly targets corrupt actors, disrupting their influence and strengthening the systems that protect our democracy.”

“This strategy brings more corrupt individuals to justice in the UK and includes £15m of new funding for an expanded local corruption unit.”

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