A leading campaigner has branded it 'shameful' that a senior Conservative frontbencher is acting as a lawyer for sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, as the UK seeks to seize billions to aid war-torn Ukraine.
Frontline Realities Contrast with Legal Wrangling
Christopher Ford, Secretary of the Ukraine Solidarity Campaign, spoke out after returning from delivering aid in Ukraine's Donbas region. He described a landscape of daily blackouts, missile strikes, and civilian deaths in homes, schools, and hospitals.
Against this brutal backdrop, Mr Ford highlighted the case of children rescued from Russian-occupied areas, where one in ten had suffered sexual abuse. More than 20,000 children are confirmed as abducted by Russia, a figure believed to be a significant underestimate, pointing to industrial-scale child abuse.
Shadow Cabinet Member Aiding Sanctioned Oligarch
The campaigner's anger is directed at the legal efforts of Roman Abramovich, the former Chelsea FC owner with strong ties to Vladimir Putin. Abramovich is obstructing the transfer of over £2.5 billion from the club's sale destined for Ukraine and is fighting a separate court battle over billions in frozen assets in Jersey.
Critically, in the Jersey case, Abramovich is being represented by Lord David Wolfson KC, a Conservative peer who serves as the Shadow Attorney General. He is acting alongside former Trump adviser Eric Herschmann.
"Lord Wolfson is not just any barrister taking on a wealthy client," Mr Ford stated. "He is a Conservative peer and the Shadow Attorney General. Abramovich is a sanctioned oligarch." He dismissed Tory defences that this is standard legal practice, arguing it signals a dangerous 'business as usual' approach with Putin's allies.
Calls for Emergency Action and Political Accountability
The controversy raises serious questions about the Conservative Party's stance under Kemi Badenoch's leadership, according to the campaign. It comes amid wider concerns about Western populists pushing to normalise relations with Moscow.
Mr Ford and the Ukraine Solidarity Campaign are demanding the Labour government take decisive action. Their demands include:
- Introducing emergency legislation to prevent sanctioned oligarchs from exploiting the UK's legal system.
- Transferring all nearly £30 billion in frozen Russian assets within the UK to fund Ukraine's defence and reconstruction.
"Ukraine is on the frontline of the battle for democracy, and they need our solidarity more than ever," Mr Ford concluded. The campaign has called for a public demonstration outside Conservative Party Headquarters on Wednesday 7 January.
