Spotlight on Corruption has published a briefing cautioning that proposed police reforms, including merging the National Crime Agency (NCA) into a new National Police Service (NPS) and potential loss of specialist forces like City of London Police, could undermine economic crime enforcement without careful planning. The briefing follows the King's Speech reaffirming government commitment to major policing reforms and recommends three measures to protect economic crime expertise during restructuring. Spotlight on Corruption also recommends that the government maintain a fully independent policing service with a statutory definition of operational independence and an independent oversight mechanism.

Spotlight on Corruption has published an article commenting on the lack of anti-corruption measures in the King's Speech, which included 40 different Bill proposals in the new government's plans. Spotlight on Corruption has said that anti-corruption experts and campaigners were hoping the Speech would include ethics and integrity reforms, an Elections Bill for tougher rules on political party donations and restoration of the independence of the Electoral Commission and a recognition of the need for a third economic crime act to address gaps for dirty money and asset recovery.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) obtained its first Unexplained Wealth Order (UWO) last summer against Zamira Hajiyeva, securing the forfeiture of her £14m Knightsbridge home and a Berkshire golf club. While the NCA hailed this as a success, the settlement allowed Hajiyeva to retain 30% of the property values and her jewellery collection. The protracted legal battle also exposed significant challenges in securing UWOs, including resource-intensive litigation, difficulties in pursuing overseas politically exposed persons and complexities in proving the unlawful origin of funds. The case has prompted discussions on potential reforms, such as limiting 'interested party' status for hidden beneficial owners and forfeiting rights for those using corporate structures to conceal ownership. Spotlight on Corruption explores the issues raised by this case.

Spotlight on Corruption has published a report assessing the UK’s asset recovery regime eight years after the Criminal Finances Act 2017, finding that the recovery of criminal assets has largely stalled. The report, published on 21 December 2025, examines the use of tools such as Unexplained Wealth Orders and Account Freezing Orders across the UK and finds that only 28% of assets frozen since 2018 have been permanently recovered, with Unexplained Wealth Orders accounting for just 2.3% of recovered assets. It says weak incentives for law enforcement, costly litigation and limited accountability for professional enablers have undermined enforcement, and warns that reform is needed as the UK prepares for an international illicit finance summit in 2026 and Financial Action Task Force scrutiny in 2027.

Spotlight on Corruption has published an article outlining discussions from a parliamentary roundtable held in March 2026 to launch the Clean and Green manifesto, endorsed by 30 civil society organisations. Chaired by Lloyd Hatton MP, the roundtable brought together environmental and anti-corruption groups to explore how UK anti-corruption efforts can help tackle environmental harm and support the transition to net zero. Participants identified opportunities for cross-sector collaboration, including tackling illicit finance, strengthening lobbying transparency, improving corporate and climate finance disclosure and using existing UK laws to address corruption linked to environmental damage.

Spotlight on Corruption has launched a new anti-corruption enforcement tracker compiling a decade of UK enforcement data. The tracker shows money laundering prosecutions fell 36.1% and fraud prosecutions dropped 74.8% since 2013/2014. While asset recovery increased 35.8% since 2013/2014 to £243.3m, this represents just 0.2% of the National Crime Agency's estimated £100bn laundered annually through the UK. The data release comes as the UK prepares for a Financial Action Task Force review of its enforcement resources and capabilities.

Spotlight on Corruption has published an analysis of the UK political parties’ manifestos on corruption and corruption-related issues. The analysis focuses on four main areas, including improving standards in public life, ensuring the integrity of political party finance, tackling money laundering and using sanctions effectively, improving the court system, and lastly, ensuring accountable and effective public services and spending. Some examples mentioned include Labour's and the Liberal Democrats' commitment to giving more power to the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests; Labour’s commitment to strengthen rules around donations; the Conservatives’ promise to fight money laundering and ensure that all Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories adopt open registers of beneficial ownership and the Green Party’s commitment to invest £2.5bn into the court system.

Spotlight on Corruption has published an article commenting on the UK’s new Anti-Corruption strategy. Spotlight have highlighted how the last strategy ended in December 2022, whilst the government has failed to appoint a new Ant-Corruption Champion since June 2022 following the resignation of the last Champion. Spotlight has discussed what the new strategy involves and has compared this to previous strategies. Spotlight has commented that the government needs to ensure that it ‘moves beyond committing to more reviews’, includes concrete action on improving ethical and anti-corruption standards within government and approaches corruption in the whole of the UK.

Spotlight on Corruption has published an article by its Deputy Director, Dr Helen Taylor, stating that the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) should use the scrutiny arising from the collapse of its London Mining prosecution as an opportunity to strengthen its approach to investigating complex corporate corruption cases. Taylor states that, although the allegations made against the SFO remain untested, they raise important questions about the agency's methods for obtaining evidence from key witnesses, particularly as it increasingly relies on corporate insiders such as whistleblowers and assisting offenders. She also highlights the SFO's use of external researchers and expert witnesses in foreign bribery investigations, where specialist knowledge of local laws and practices may be necessary. According to Taylor, the SFO should use the lessons from the London Mining case to review and strengthen its investigative strategy and processes.

Spotlight on Corruption has published a blog, where it discusses the latest developments in relation to Glencore’s corruption in Nigeria and the possibilities of closing the ‘accountability gap for Glencore’s corruption’. In the blog, Spotlight highlights that Nigeria’s compensation deal will not be credible without transparency and the deal raises questions such as: ‘will the funds be used to benefit communities most harmed by the corruption, or will the funds simply smooth the way for Glencore to get future oil and mining contracts?’ Spotlight, alongside Nigerian civil society partners, has urged the Nigerian Government to be fully transparent and accountable about the use of funds to redress the harms of Glencore’s corruption. Spotlight has also called for the anonymity to be lifted after charges are brought against former Glencore staff.

Spotlight on Corruption has published a briefing on the draft Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Amendment) Regulations 2026, SI 2026/621, recommending stronger supervision of firms’ assessments of high-risk transactions. It also calls on the government to progress plans for the Financial Conduct Authority to supervise anti-money laundering (AML) compliance in professional services, including lawyers and accountants, and ensure that it has appropriate powers and resources. Further recommendations include reviewing whether additional sectors should be regulated and publishing a review and action plan to address barriers to investigating and prosecuting high-end money laundering. The recommendations aim to address gaps in supervision, regulatory coverage and criminal enforcement ahead of the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) review of the UK’s AML regime in 2027.

Spotlight on Corruption has published a report claiming that the impact of the UK’s sanctions against Russia’s are being undermined by lacklustre efforts in their enforcement. The report reveals that there have been zero fines for breaches of financial sanctions imposed since 2022, zero convictions for sanctions evasion since 2012 and zero assets permanently seized related to sanctions violations. It outlines recent reforms to sanctions enforcement, evaluates early enforcement efforts and suggests priorities that the new government should pursue. The report goes on to make four key recommendations to help improve sanctions enforcement.