The Conservative party faced criticism for defending a frontbencher who is representing Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich in a legal battle. Justice minister Jake Richards condemned the party, calling the situation a clear conflict of interest. He suggested that if the frontbencher continues to represent Abramovich, he should step down from his shadow cabinet role. The Tories dismissed Labour’s accusations as politically motivated.
Recently, it was revealed that Lord Wolfson is involved in Abramovich’s legal dispute with the Jersey government regarding assets worth over £5.3 billion. Additionally, the UK government is pursuing Abramovich for more than £2.5 billion to aid Ukraine.
Labour’s Mr. Richards raised concerns about the conflict of interest, emphasizing that Lord Wolfson should not advise on Russia-Ukraine matters while representing Abramovich. He criticized the party’s defense of the situation as weak and urged action from Kemi Badenoch. Mr. Richards also questioned if former PM Boris Johnson would condone such a conflict of interest.
The Ukraine Solidarity Campaign expressed alarm over Lord Wolfson’s role, suggesting possible alignment with Russia in the future. The group called for emergency legislation to prevent sanctioned individuals from using the legal system to delay accountability.
Abramovich, who sold Chelsea FC after being sanctioned for ties to Vladimir Putin, is in a standoff with the UK government over transferring frozen funds for humanitarian purposes related to the Ukraine conflict. Mr. Richards called on Kemi Badenoch to address the alignment with the government’s position on transferring funds to Ukraine.
The Tories defended Lord Wolfson, stating he is not involved in the Chelsea FC matter. They criticized Labour’s stance as political and emphasized their commitment to supporting Ukraine.