Liz David-Barrett
@lizdavidbarrett.bsky.social
Director of the Centre for the Study of Corruption, University of Sussex
What is the purpose of football? My colleague Dan Hough explores FIFA, integrity and the events of the World Cup @sussexscsc.bsky.social @lizdavidbarrett.bsky.social blogs.sussex.ac.uk/centre-for-t...
The 2026 FIFA World Cup; Power, money and a fundamental lack of integrity | Centre for the Study of Corruption
blogs.sussex.ac.uk
New on KickBack: @lizdavidbarrett.bsky.social speaks with @csc-barrington.bsky.social about *Corrupted Kingdom*, Britain’s decline in public integrity, weaknesses in accountability and what it will take to rebuild trust. Listen: Spotify: bit.ly/4hiYY0h SoundCloud: bit.ly/4ho1RwK
📣 Join us next Wednesday (27 May) for a #GIACE roundtable: ‘How to recover from state capture: lessons for Hungary from South Africa, Sri Lanka, and beyond’. 🗓️ Wednesday 27 May 🕰️ 1pm to 2pm (BST) 🔗 Register: bit.ly/4w6mQcF
📣 Join us on Wednesday 27 May for a #GIACE roundtable: ‘How to recover from state capture: lessons for Hungary from South Africa, Sri Lanka, and beyond’. 🗓️ Wednesday 27 May 🕰️ 1pm to 2pm (BST) 🔗 Register: bit.ly/4w6mQcF
🚨 The April 2026 edition of the GI ACE Newsletter was published yesterday! 🔗 Read the newsletter: bit.ly/4d09So7 🔗 Subscribe to newsletter: bit.ly/4tNECzR
📣 Synthesis of #GIACE research on illicit financial flows published ‘Fighting illicit financial flows: key learnings from GI ACE research’, authored by GI ACE Researcher @devipillay.co.za, synthesises publications produced by the CSC-hosted research programme between 2020 and February 2026.
48 hours later and the only outlet to follow up this story has been the National in Scotland Call me old fashioned but think destroying information with a legal hold on it and a disclosure to Serious Fraud is pretty important stuff open.substack.com/pub/democrac...
Labour Together PR firm tried to destroy crucial evidence
Controversial firm reported to Serious Fraud Office after senior executive ordered deletion of evidence of Labour Together’s smear campaign against journalists
open.substack.com
📼 The recording of last week’s GI ACE seminar ‘Addressing corruption in crisis situations: towards effective crisis-responses in the Malawian health system’ is now available to watch on YouTube: bit.ly/42hH2KN
“They’ve learned from Hungary that you have to change the voting rules. That’s how autocrats win elections - by rigging the system. That’s exactly what Trump has been trying to do.” Vital conversation w/ @kimlanelaw.bsky.social on Democracy for Sale democracyforsale.substack.com/p/trumps-nex...
Trump’s next move is being tested in Hungary
I speak to Kim Lane Scheppele about Orbán, Trump and how MAGA is following the Hungarian playbook
democracyforsale.substack.com
A recurring theme w/ MAGA/radical right is *endlessly* accusing their enemies (falsely) of doing why they are *actually* doing It’s Orban who spent fortune interfering in politics outside Hungary Including paying Reform’s Matt Goodwin €10k a month democracyforsale.substack.com/p/orbans-brits
What happens to Britain's radical right if Orbán loses?
Inside the money, power and patronage connecting Hungary and the British right
democracyforsale.substack.com
EUwatch 🇪🇺@euwatch.live · 4mo agoJD Vance accuses EU of ‘interference’ as he visits Hungary to help Orbán win election
📃 New working paper: Madagascar at a crossroads: breaking the cycle of state capture Authored by Dafy Faramalala Andriamparany, @lizdavidbarrett.bsky.social, Ketakandriana Rafitoson, and Tom Shipley. Access the paper in both French and English: bit.ly/4aTWx0L
📼 The recording of our second GI ACE seminar held in collaboration with the Illicit Finance Data Lab, ‘Sourcing data for the next generation of illicit finance research’, is now available to watch on YouTube: bit.ly/4bcmgAj
KB – Episode 145🎙️ @csc-barrington.bsky.social speaks with @marianizzero.bsky.social about research reframing kleptocracy as a transnational criminal enterprise, and the implications for UK asset recovery and national security. 🎧 Spotify bit.ly/SpotifyKBep145 🎧 SoundCloud bit.ly/SoundCloudKB...
Opening remarks were delivered by Alanna Markle (OO), Yara Esquivel (WBG), and @thomtownsend.bsky.social (OO), and the keynote speech was delivered by @lizdavidbarrett.bsky.social (CSC/US). We look forward to engaging discussions over the next two days.
🚨 The February 2026 edition of the GI ACE Newsletter is out now! 🔗 Read this month’s newsletter: bit.ly/4aIui5b 🔗 Subscribe to receive future editions via email: bit.ly/4rxx8j4
“U.S. foreign policy is now largely subordinate to the private interests of the president and his retainers,” write @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social and @dhnexon.bsky.social.
The Age of Kleptocracy
Geopolitical power, private gain.
foreignaffairs.com
🎙️ New KickBack episode Why do liberation movements that fight for freedom so often succumb to corruption once in power? 🧵
@lizdavidbarrett.bsky.social speaks with Lord Peter Hain about Liberation and Corruption, exploring state capture, global finance, and the lessons from South Africa and beyond.
📼 Our latest GI ACE seminar, 'The promise and perils of using leaked and sensitive data to research illicit finance’, is available: bit.ly/4ciYrZI Thank you to @szakonyi.bsky.social, Tom Mayne, and @lizdavidbarrett.bsky.social. The event was held in collaboration with the Illicit Finance Data Lab.
Check out the latest research news from the Centre for the Study of Corruption and the GI ACE programme!
Governance & Integrity Anti-Corruption Evidence (GI ACE)@giace.bsky.social · 6mo ago🚨 The January 2026 edition of the GI ACE Newsletter is out now! Inside you’ll find information about our latest publications, events, blogs, podcasts, and more. 🔗 Read this month’s newsletter: bit.ly/3LXvojB 🔗 Subscribe to receive future editions via email: bit.ly/49Xj62F
Join us on 5 Feb 2026 (2–3pm GMT) for a GI ACE seminar on using leaked & sensitive data to research illicit finance, with @szakonyi.bsky.social and Tom Mayne, chaired by @lizdavidbarrett.bsky.social. In collaboration with the Illicit Finance Data Lab. Register here: bit.ly/3ZkcV3U
Our first Kickback episode of 2026 🎙️ @lizdavidbarrett.bsky.social speaks with Anna Persson on why anticorruption reforms fail, systemic corruption as collective action, and why transparency alone isn’t enough. 🎧 bit.ly/SpotifyKB142 🎧 bit.ly/SoundCloudKB... 🎧 bit.ly/AppleKB142
Lots of food for thought here over the holidays!
KickBack - The Global Anticorruption Podcast@kickbackgap.bsky.social · 8mo agoNew KickBack episode: @lizdavidbarrett.bsky.social speaks with Naomi Roht-Arriaza on how grand corruption undermines human rights, blocks post-conflict justice, and why recognising victims and broader reparations matters. Listen: bit.ly/AppleKB141 | bit.ly/SoundCloudKBep141
New KickBack episode: @lizdavidbarrett.bsky.social speaks with Naomi Roht-Arriaza on how grand corruption undermines human rights, blocks post-conflict justice, and why recognising victims and broader reparations matters. Listen: bit.ly/AppleKB141 | bit.ly/SoundCloudKBep141
New GI ACE blog: How can the IMF help counter state capture? @tshipley1.bsky.social & @lizdavidbarrett.bsky.social explore the Fund’s growing role, its leverage in reforms, and the risks that could hold it back. Read more: bit.ly/StateCapture...
Part 3 of #GIACE’s blog series is out! @devipillay.co.za unpacks the Zondo Commission’s 353 recommendations and why South Africa’s post-capture reforms remain uneven. Key gaps persist in law enforcement and whistle-blower protection. Read more: bit.ly/GIACEPart3
Professional enablers often work behind the scenes—but their influence can drive corruption and state capture. Join our GI ACE roundtable with @lizdavidbarrett.bsky.social, @devipillay.co.za, Alex Cooley, @jheathershaw.bsky.social, Corentin Cohen and @tenaprelec.bsky.social 🔗 bit.ly/GIACERoundtable
Consultants, capture, and kleptocrats: how professional service providers enable corruption
bit.ly
I had such a fun time speaking with @lizdavidbarrett.bsky.social on the KickBack podcast about the role that both voters and women officeholders can play in electoral accountability for corruption in Latin America. Thanks for having me on @kickbackgap.bsky.social!
KickBack - The Global Anticorruption Podcast@kickbackgap.bsky.social · 9mo ago🎙️ New KickBack Ep. 140! Why do voters support corrupt politicians? @lizdavidbarrett.bsky.social talks with emilyelia.bsky.social about why voters back corrupt politicians - and whether women candidates help parties recover after scandals. 🎧 Listen: SoundCloud bit.ly/SoundcloudKB140
Today’s #GIACEseminar was a lively dive into how illicit finance is reshaping tourism and hospitality. Thank you to Jean-Patrick Villeneuve, @ofabianobomfim.bsky.social, Dieter Zinnbauer, @lizdavidbarrett.bsky.social and all the participants who joined! Learn more: bit.ly/corruptionin...
