Labour Deputy Leader Vows to Copy Ukrainian ‘Anti-Corruption Blueprint’

Since becoming an independent state following the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine has gained a reputation for corruption. Western NGO Transparency International says 23 percent of Ukrainians using public services have paid a bribe in the past year.

The deputy leader of the British opposition has said that the UK should take a leaf out of Ukraine's book when it comes to fighting graft.

Angela Rayner told the Labour Conference in Liverpool that, in order to win the next election, the party would set up a "public dashboard of government contracts" to ensure "transparency about taxpayers' money and how it's spent."

Labour has made repeated claims of cronyism by the Conservative government when awarding emergency contracts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It's [the Labour proposal] inspired by Ukraine's anti-corruption blueprint," Rayner told delegates. "Even under the attack from Russia, they are honest about how they spend public money."

Are you hearing this??

Man!!

You can’t make this s#!t up!

Seriously!

This is Angela Rayner - Deputy Leader - Labour
At today’s conference.

She promises to put in place systems that are INSPIRED by …..wait for it…… UKRAINIAN GOVERNMENT’S ANTI CORRUPTION BLUEPRINT. pic.twitter.com/LvsPDxLFTe

— JeSuisBonheur (@BonheurSuis) September 25, 2022

However, since becoming an independent state following the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine has gained a reputation as one of the most corrupt countries.

A pro-Ukrainian documentary broadcast by CBS News in August revealed that only a third of the arms supplied by western countries for Kiev's conflict with Russia actually reached the front lines. The program was hurriedly pulled from the CBS website under pressure from the Ukrainian government.

Transparency International, a Berlin-based offshoot of the World Bank which is headquartered in Washington DC, ranks Kiev 122nd out of 180 in its anti-graft rankings. The group claims that 23 percent of Ukrainians using public services paid a bribe to an official in the past year.

Even the US State Department, the prime backer of the 2014 anti-Russian 'Euromaidan' coup, has called out corruption in Kiev since the start of the conflict. Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters in July that official graft threatened "long-term success as a sovereign, independent, democratic and prosperous country."

The relationship between Ukraine and US President Joe Biden's family is also well-documented. Biden's wayward son Hunter was paid as an executive of Ukrainian gas company Burisma Holdings from 2014 to 2019.

When Prosecutor-General Viktor Shokin launched a probe into suspected money-laundering and corruption by Burisma's owner Mykola Zlochevsky, then-US Vice president Biden pressured Kiev to dismiss Shokin — also for alleged corruption.