On 25 November 2025 FIFA decided that one of football’s global superstars, Cristiano Ronaldo, would indeed be allowed to play in all of his country’s games at the 2026 World Cup finals. The decision will no doubt by cheered by…
Blog Archives
Reforming Governance and the Quiet Capture of Democracy in Tasmania
In this final blog in a 4-part series on Elite Cartels in Tasmania, Robyn A. Lewis1 and Michael Johnston2 draw on experiences elsewhere to suggest potential anti-corruption reforms. Elite3 Cartels (ECs) operate subtly – often legally and opaquely – contributing…
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Why it matters whether Palestine Action are really terrorists
Professor Robert Barrington explores the implications of using anti-terrorist laws against Palestine Action, arguing that civil society plays a key role in the UK’s anti-corruption architecture and applying such laws to campaigners can set a dangerous precedent which a future…
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Tasmania’s Hidden Tax: Elite Cartel Corruption and Its Real Costs
Robyn A. Lewis[1]Michael Johnston[2] Australia’s island state Tasmania faces another cluster of economic, social and environmental crises. Despite intermittent growth, Tasmania remains Australia’s poorest, least dynamic state. In 2023-24, GSP[3] per capita was A$70,679, 73% of Australia’s per capita GDP…
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The Lammy Summit: global leadership – or niche and unambitious?
Professor Robert Barrington reflects on the UK government’s plans for the upcoming Lammy Summit, drawing on past examples to consider what the initiative might signal about current efforts to address corruption and illicit finance. Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced in May 2024…
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Elite Cartel corruption in Tasmania – the nature of the game
In this second post on Tasmania, Robyn A. Lewis[1] and Professor Michael Johnston[2] examine corruption in Australia’s smallest state through the lens of the Elite Cartel syndrome, highlighting its sources and continued dominance. Our previous post illustrates how Tasmania exemplifies…
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Tasmania – the corruption isle?
Robyn A. Lewis [1] and Professor Michael Johnston[2] examine the concept of Elite Cartels, and how it might be applied to the Australian state of Tasmania. This is the first of a short series of blogs on Tasmania.How corrupt is…
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Crosspost: Academics aren’t usually part of leaked data investigations. That’s starting to change.
Michael Hornsby, Impact Manager at Anti-Corruption Data Collective (ACDC) and David Szakonyi, ACDC co-founder, discuss the value that cross-sectoral collaborations might bring to complex, cross-border investigations into illicit financial flows and kleptocracy using leaked, commercial and public data sets. Picture the…
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Grenfell: who paid the bribes?
Professor Robert Barrington applies the lens of corruption analysis to the Grenfell Inquiry report, asking whether prosecutions might be possible, and what the Inquiry tells us about the way in which the UK authorities address corruption. Back in July 2017,…
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The unsolved mystery of corruption in Teesside
Robert Barrington, Professor of Anti-Corruption Practice at the Centre for the Study of Corruption, examines the recent Tees Valley Review, finding that despite claiming not to have found any evidence to support allegations of corruption, it is curiously vague about how…
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