The United Kingdom has unveiled a sweeping new anti-corruption strategy aimed at dismantling the networks of legal, financial and accounting professionals who knowingly-or in some cases negligently-facilitate illicit finance. While the initiative marks one of the most aggressive measures Britain has taken in recent years to curb corruption, questions remain over its effectiveness and its failure to address the political sphere, which critics argue remains one of the country’s deepest vulnerabilities.

Announced alongside more than 120 commitments across various branches of government, the strategy earmarks over £15 million in new funding for the City of London Police’s Domestic Corruption Unit. This investment is intended to bolster investigative capacity at a time when corrupt actors and sanctioned oligarchs increasingly rely on sophisticated professional intermediaries to move money through the UK’s financial system. The government has framed the overhaul as a necessary step to protect national security, stop the flow of dirty money and rebuild trust in public institutions.

At the heart of the strategy is a renewed focus on “professional enablers”-lawyers, accountants, bankers, trust and company service providers-who knowingly help criminals conceal wealth behind opaque structures. The government argues that closing the gaps exploited by these actors is critical in the fight against corruption, as illegal funds rarely travel through the economy without the assistance of someone who understands how to structure and disguise transactions.

The document cites common practices used to facilitate illicit finance: establishing shell companies or trusts without legitimate business purposes, providing specialized legal advice to mask ownership, or enabling complex........

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