Freemium - Offshore Secrecy: Assessing UK Overseas Territory Transparency

In this episode, we unpack Transparency International UK’s 2025 assessment of how the UK’s Overseas Territories are progressing—or failing to progress—on creating accessible registers of beneficial ownership. These registers are meant to shine a light on who really owns companies, a crucial step in fighting global illicit finance. But as the report reveals, the reality is far more complicated.

We explore how opaque corporate structures in jurisdictions like the British Virgin Islands have enabled massive corruption and money-laundering schemes, and why the Overseas Territories’ shift from fully public registers to more restrictive “Legitimate Interest Access Registers” (LIARBOs) represents a major setback for transparency. You’ll hear which territories scored poorly due to slow implementation, limited access, and processes that could even tip off criminals—and why Montserrat stands out as the lone success story with a completely public, free-to-use register.

Finally, we look at the report’s call for the UK government to step in, apply real pressure, and even consider constitutional measures to ensure these territories live up to their commitments. If you want to understand the global stakes of beneficial ownership transparency, this episode gives you the full picture.