London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 30, 2025

Sadiq Khan calls for foreign-owned properties register

Sadiq Khan calls for foreign-owned properties register

The Mayor of London has called for a register of foreign-owned UK properties, amid government threats of sanctions on allies of Vladimir Putin.

In London, 85,451 property titles are held by foreign individuals, according to the Centre for Public Data

Sadiq Khan said a lack of transparency around property ownership in the capital could hamper the UK imposing sanctions if Russia invaded Ukraine.

The government had intended to have a register operational by 2021.

The Foreign Office said it had its "toughest sanctions" regime in place.

Russia said the threat of more sanctions would backfire, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov calling it "an undisguised attack on business".

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the UK was "strengthening" its sanction system so oligarchs close to the Kremlin had "nowhere to hide".


Mr Khan said authorities know of properties owned by some allies of Putin, but it remains unclear who owns thousands of properties in the capital

He said: "The slow pace of progress on this issue has been bitterly disappointing - and it will prevent the government acting on their tough talk about further sanctions if they are imposed on Putin's regime.

"Londoners deserve to know the identity of those that own property in their city, and we have waited long enough for the Government to do the right thing and fulfil its commitments."

Sadiq Khan said ministers have turned a blind eye to London being used to harbour corrupt funds


In London, 85,451 property titles are held by foreign individuals or companies, according to figures from The Centre for public Data.

In 2020, the Intelligence and Security Select Committee said the UK had welcomed Russian money with open arms with few questions asked.

Anti-corruption campaigner Vladimir Ashurkov told BBC Politics London: "I think most Russian money that comes to Britain is legitimate.

"There are many bad apples among them unfortunately, which brought the proceeds of corruption to Britain, and Britain unfortunately despite a lot of rhetoric about fighting dirty money has not done much about it."

It comes as the Foreign Affairs Select Committee launched an enquiry last week into "dirty money" across borders.

Anti-corruption campaigner Vladimir Ashurkov not much is being done about foreign dirty money in the UK


Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: "Whether you support Russia's aggressive actions against Ukraine, or you're of wider significance to the Kremlin, we will have the power to sanction you.

"Nothing is off the table and there will be nowhere to hide.

"This will amount to the toughest sanctions regime against Russia we have had in place yet, and mark the biggest change in our approach since leaving the European Union."

Russia has placed about 100,000 troops, tanks, artillery and missiles near Ukraine's border, but denies it plans to invade the former Soviet republic, which borders both Russia and the EU.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK and Vietnam Sign Landmark Migration Deal to Fast-Track Returns of Irregular Arrivals
UK Drug-Pricing Overhaul Essential for Life-Sciences Ambition, Says GSK Chief
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Temporarily Leave the UK Amid Their Parents’ Royal Fallout
UK Weighs Early End to Oil and Gas Windfall Tax as Reeves Seeks Investment Commitments
UK Retail Inflation Slows as Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since Spring
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Guidance After Strong Third-Quarter Performance
Reform UK’s Lee Anderson Admits to 'Gaming' Benefits System While Advocating Crackdown
United States and South Korea Conclude Major Trade Accord Worth $350 Billion
Hurricane Melissa Strikes Cuba After Devastating Jamaica With Record Winds
Vice President Vance to Headline Turning Point USA Campus Event at Ole Miss
U.S. Targets Maritime Narco-Routes While Border Pressure to Mexico Remains Limited
Bill Gates at 70: “I Have a Real Fear of Artificial Intelligence – and Also Regret”
Elon Musk Unveils Grokipedia: An AI-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia Unveils Vision for First-Ever "Sky Stadium" Suspended Over Desert Floor
Amazon Announces 14 000 Corporate Job Cuts as AI Investment Accelerates
UK Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since March, Food Leads the Decline
London Stock Exchange Group ADR (LNSTY) Earns Zacks Rank #1 Upgrade on Rising Earnings Outlook
Soap legend Tony Adams, long-time star of Crossroads, dies at 84
Rachel Reeves Signals Tax Increases Ahead of November Budget Amid £20-50 Billion Fiscal Gap
NatWest Past Gains of 314% Spotlight Opportunity — But Some Key Risks Remain
UK Launches ‘Golden Age’ of Nuclear with £38 Billion Sizewell C Approval
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
×