Corruption is built into neoliberalism

I recently recorded another Funding the Future podcast with John Christensen, with whom I have discussed tax justice and corruption for more than twenty-five years. We set out to talk about why corruption is suddenly back in the headlines. We concluded that corruption has not suddenly appeared. It has been embedded in our economic system for decades.

In this conversation we discuss:

• Why trust in banks, governments and corporations has collapsed since 2008

• How tax havens, secrecy jurisdictions and professional enablers make corruption routine

• Why the UK and the USA sit at the centre of global financial secrecy

• How sectoral balances explain the UK’s dependence on foreign money flowing into the City of London

• Why corruption indices often ignore the real sources of global illicit finance

• The role of think tanks, lobbying and political capture

• What reforms could work – country-by-country reporting, ending investor-state dispute systems, and restoring democratic accountability

Corruption is not just about bribery. It is about power, secrecy and rules written for the benefit of the wealthy. If we want a politics of care and an economy that works for people, we must tackle systemic corruption honestly.