Episodes
| Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omnibus: From The Invention Of Offshore To Today | 20220603 | Author and journalist Oliver Bullough traces Britain's vital role in the growth of 'offshore' money laundering - from its origins in the City of the 1950s, through to its impact today. In this omnibus edition of the series, he traces the origins of 'offshore' back to the sleepy City of London of the 1950s. A moment of inspiration fuses with the shock of the Suez Crisis to create the launch of a whole new approach to finance. From there, he traces how offshoring developed through Britain's links to an unusual number of islands - the 'last pink bits' on the old Imperial map, and Crown Dependencies, such as Jersey. Next he explores the arrival of Russian oligarchs in the 1990s, and the growth of the shell company. Finally, he asks why efforts such as the government's much-heralded Unexplained Wealth Orders have not so far managed to stop offshore money laundering - and explores what might work instead. Producer: Phil Tinline | ||
| 01 | The Invention Of Offshore | 20220530 | 20221003 (R4) | Author and journalist Oliver Bullough traces Britain's vital role in the growth of 'offshore' money laundering, talking to historians, whistleblowers, former law enforcement investigators and politicians. In this episode, he traces the origins of offshoring back to the sleepy City of London of the 1950s. A moment of inspiration fuses with the shock of the Suez Crisis to create the launch of a whole new approach to finance - with consequences that are still playing out right now. Series contributors include: Graham Barrow, Roman Borisovich, Bill Browder, Liam Byrne, John Christensen, Damian Hinds, David Lewis, Vanessa Ogle, John Penrose, Catherine Schenk, Helena Wood Producer: Phil Tinline |
| 02 | The Last Pink Bits | 20220531 | 20221004 (R4) | Author and journalist Oliver Bullough traces Britain's vital role in the growth of 'offshore' money laundering, talking to historians, whistle blowers, former investigators, and politicians. In this episode, he traces how offshoring developed through Britain's links to an unusual number of islands - the 'last pink bits' on the old Imperial map, and Crown Dependencies, such as Jersey. Series contributors include: Graham Barrow, Roman Borisovich, Bill Browder, Liam Byrne, John Christensen, Damian Hinds, David Lewis, Vanessa Ogle, John Penrose, Catherine Schenk, Helena Wood Producer: Phil Tinline |
| 03 | Londongrad | 20220601 | 20221005 (R4) | Author and journalist Oliver Bullough traces Britain's vital role in the growth of 'offshore' money laundering, talking to historians, whistle blowers, former investigators, and politicians. In this episode, Oliver explores how and why Russian oligarchs found London a receptive place to park their wealth after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 - with consequences that are playing out in British politics today. Series contributors include: Graham Barrow, Roman Borisovich, Bill Browder, Liam Byrne, John Christensen, Damian Hinds, David Lewis, Vanessa Ogle, John Penrose, Catherine Schenk, Helena Wood Producer: Phil Tinline |
| 04 | A Hard Shell | 20220602 | 20221006 (R4) | Author and journalist Oliver Bullough traces Britain's vital role in the growth of 'offshore' money laundering, talking to historians, whistle blowers, former investigators, and politicians. In this episode, Oliver explores how, in recent years, law enforcement officials and the politicians whose decisions shape their efforts have struggled to tackle the problem. Series contributors include: Graham Barrow, Roman Borisovich, Bill Browder, Liam Byrne, John Christensen, Damian Hinds, David Lewis, Vanessa Ogle, John Penrose, Catherine Schenk, Helena Wood Producer: Phil Tinline |
| 05 | Unexplained Wealth | 20220603 | 20221007 (R4) | Author and journalist Oliver Bullough traces Britain's vital role in the growth of 'offshore' money laundering, talking to historians, whistle blowers, former investigators, and politicians. In this final episode, Oliver asks why the government's much-heralded Unexplained Wealth Orders have not so far managed to stop offshore money laundering - and explores what might work instead. Series contributors include: Graham Barrow, Roman Borisovich, Bill Browder, Liam Byrne, John Christensen, Damian Hinds, David Lewis, Vanessa Ogle, John Penrose, Catherine Schenk, Helena Wood Producer: Phil Tinline |