A new report reveals the PR industry’s conundrum in combatting money laundering and kleptocracy.

In ‘What’s the Risk? PR & Communications Agencies’, Oxford University research fellow Thomas Mayne highlights concerns about how UK PR and communications agencies represent clients and fight against kleptocratic jurisdictions. 

The report was launched at a Parliament panel event that featured Mayne, Curzon PR CEO Farzana Baduel and The Bureau of Investigative Journalism editor, Franz Wild, led by APPG co-chair Liam Byrne MP. Opening remarks were provided by CIPR CEO, Alastair McCapra. 

Key points argued by Mayne’s report were how the road to acquiring acceptance within UK society is often bumpy, through acquisition of property, residency and citizenship. 

However, Maynes suggests it can be smoothed if a person’s past can be laundered through PR activities, whitewashing past faults. 

Another trend Mayne points to is how both individuals and companies can work alongside communication agencies to gain political influence, as PR work can overlap with lobbying and public affairs firms.  

Mayne explains: “This report shows how PR agents can play a key role in laundering the reputation of corrupt players from overseas and help them to establish networks within the UK. Hopefully this report will act as a starting point for that conversation within the PR world.”

Byrne adds: "Our country is still one of the world's favourite places for economic crime. What we see as MPs is that reputation-laundering is at the interface of inequalities of wealth becoming inequalities of power. You cannot acquire power, no matter your level of wealth, unless you go through a process of reputation-laundering.”