United Kingdom island territories have been accused of exploiting their close links to the royal family to obstruct efforts to stamp out dirty money “stolen” from low-income nations by corrupt leaders and warlords.
Andrew Mitchell, the former U.K. development minister — who has long campaigned against the secrecy of its tax havens — attacked “well-connected” Crown Dependencies for asking the monarchy for help to block an agreement to open up their books.
The three Crown Dependencies — Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man — are largely self-governing, with their own political and legal systems, but are “possessions of the British Crown,” making the monarchy responsible for their “good government.”
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About the author
Rob Merrick
Rob Merrick is the U.K. Correspondent for Devex, covering FCDO and British aid. He reported on all the key events in British politics of the past 25 years from Westminster, including the financial crash, the Brexit fallout, the "Partygate" scandal, and the departures of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. Rob has worked for The Independent and the Press Association and is a regular commentator on TV and radio. He can be reached at rob.merrick@devex.com.