The Freeborn Englishman, Oligarchs, Boris Johnson & the £160,000 tennis game
In the Making of the English Working Class E P Thompson wrote of the Freeborn Englishman, a complex character who was as likely to appear on the right as much as of the left in politics and sometimes switched between the two in short order
As Thompson noted the Freeborn Englishman sought freedom and liberty and the right to be left alone by the State. He also disliked foreign domination and, sometimes foreigners. Hence the French Revolution might be seen as something that was taking away rights that the Englishman already had, or alternatively as something to be cheered as promoting them.
One thing the Freeborn Englishman would not have liked were the modern day Oligarchs (unless they were sponsoring him) hugely rich people who operate on a world stage.
A focus on one particular variant Russian Oligarchs(there are many others) is in the news because of the situation in Ukraine. As Chris Bryant MP has raised in the Commons since there is no register of the individuals and in particular their financial holdings in London, its not known how many there are or what their influence is. It is likely however that some funding finds its way to the Tory Party.
Boris Johnson has announced some very limited measures against Russian financial interests in the UK but drew the net narrowly.
There was no mention for example of Lubov Chernukhin,50. The Sunday Times (20th Feb 22) has revealed Ms Chernukhin is a member of a Tory advisory board that enjoys direct access to Johnson and other senior Ministers. A minimum donation of £250,000 is required. Ms Chernukhin is a former banker and the wife of a former Deputy Finance Minister in Putin’s Government Vladimir Chernukhin. Their wealth, mostly held offshore, is thought to be around £366m. She has lobbied against higher taxes for the very rich. Ms Chernukhin played a game of tennis with Boris Johnson after paying £160,000 for the ‘honour’ in a Tory fund raising campaign.
Why weren’t the Chernukhins targeted by Johnson? Firstly of course because they have swapped Putin’s free market conservatism for Johnson but secondly because at some point they have become British citizens. Current mainstream obsessions aside the task here is to make British politics more open and accountable by finding out what ALL Oligarchs are up to with their money
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