A Conservative frontbencher is facing criticism for his involvement as a legal representative for Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, as revealed recently. The Ukraine Solidarity Campaign (USC) has expressed concern over Shadow Attorney General Lord David Wolfson’s association with Abramovich. The UK government is actively seeking more than £2.5 billion from the former Chelsea owner to support Ukraine.
Abramovich is currently entangled in a legal dispute with the Jersey government, which is investigating over £5.3 billion in assets linked to him held in Jersey. Just a few weeks ago, Keir Starmer issued a stern warning to Abramovich, demanding the transfer of funds from the Chelsea sale or face legal consequences.
Lord Wolfson has been engaged in the Jersey case, with Abramovich contending that the asset transfer for Ukraine’s benefit should wait until the Jersey proceedings conclude.
The USC has raised doubts about a Shadow Cabinet member taking on such a case without party leadership awareness or approval. They question if this signals a return to close ties with Russia for the Conservatives and a potential alignment with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, normalizing troubling attitudes towards Russia.
The USC has urged emergency legislation to prevent sanctioned individuals from delaying accountability through the UK legal system. They emphasized prioritizing the rights of victims over the privileges of oligarchs involved in Russian aggression.
Following UK sanctions related to his alleged connections to Vladimir Putin post the Ukraine invasion, Abramovich sold the club in 2022. The funds from the sale aimed for humanitarian causes linked to the Ukraine conflict are currently frozen in a UK bank account due to disputes between Abramovich’s legal team and the government.
In a letter to Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, Labour Justice Minister Jake Richards highlighted the conflict of interest in Lord Wolfson’s dual roles and urged clarity on the Opposition’s stance regarding the transfer of funds to Ukraine.
The Tories defended Lord Wolfson, stating he is not involved in the Chelsea FC matter, dismissing Labour’s comments as political tactics. They emphasized barristers represent clients, not causes, and accused Labour of hypocrisy, citing instances where their own Attorney General had taken on controversial cases.
The Conservative Party reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Ukraine and denounced Labour’s accusations as baseless, stating they are dedicated to the cause.