UK ‘is at risk of a tide of corruption’

Britain is at risk of a tide of corruption in domestic business and government because officials are focusing on problems abroad.

That is the finding of the Fraud Advisory Panel, the counter-fraud charity, which on Tuesday attacked the lack of a single agency to take the lead in policing domestic corruption.

It also condemned the absence of systematically collected and analysed data on the problem.

Chairman David Clarke said: “Corruption isn’t a single event or act; it is a process whose ultimate objective is to create a culture in which it can become the new normal.

“Everywhere we look in Britain today we see signs that just such a culture is beginning to take root.”

Economic crime was “rampant”, suggesting corruption would also prove widespread if data were collected, he said.

The FAP said everyday practices such as “revolving doors”, nepotism, self-regulation and excessive hospitality worked “by stealth” to divert resources and opportunities, concentrate power and advantage and corrode trust.

“There is no dedicated infrastructure or single agency in the UK responsible for taking the lead in policing domestic corruption.”