Starmer questions why Roman Abramovich is not facing UK sanctions
Keir Starmer has questioned why Roman Abramovich has not faced UK sanctions over the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as Boris Johnson appeared to accept a Labour offer to strengthen a new bill cracking down on illicit assets.
At a prime minister’s questions that began with the rare sight of MPs standing in unison to applaud the Ukrainian ambassador, Vadym Prystaiko, who was watching from the public gallery, Starmer repeatedly called for tougher action against Russian oligarchs.
He began by citing comments made to the Commons last week by the Labour MP Chris Bryant, who referred to what he said was a leaked Home Office document that accused Abramovich, the Chelsea football club owner, of having links to the Russian state as well as to “corrupt activity and practices”.
The Labour leader said: “Last week the prime minister said that Abramovich was facing sanctions. He later corrected the record to say that he isn’t. Well, why on earth isn’t he?”
After Johnson said he could not comment on individual cases, Starmer also called for action against Igor Shuvalov, formerly Vladimir Putin’s deputy prime minister, describing him as being among a group to have “dipped their hands in the blood of Putin’s war”.
Noting that Shuvalov owns two flats in London through a company, Starmer said the only reason the real owner was known was because it was revealed by Alexei Navalny, the detained Russian dissident.
“Transparency is essential to rooting out corruption,” Starmer said. “It should be built into our law, but it’s not. And I’m ashamed that we only know about Shuvalov’s Westminster flats because a dissident risked his life. Is the prime minister?”
He called for tougher measures to be added to the government’s economic crimes bill, to be
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