Anthony Barnett (London, OK): Hold on a second. I was reading the Evening Standard on the way home when I saw this a report by Keith Dovkant. Irritatingly the paper seems not to post its content when it is published. He reports that the now dead oligarch Patarkatishvili was with Berezovsky and other kindred ex-Soviet plutocrats in London yesterday where "The group had just held a five-hour long meeting at the City law office of Lord Goldsmith, the former attorney-general who acts for them".
Is this the same Lord Goldsmith who is conducting a review of our citizenship? Why yes, here he is: Review of Citizenship. His Justice web page piously claims: "This review was launched on 5 October 2007 and Lord Goldsmith will be talking to a wide range of organisations and individuals as well as seeking your views".
I was wondering why he has not talked to anyone on OurKingdom. Just too many oligarchs, you know. Has he talked to you? Or even approached you? Do you know anyone he has approached? For five minutes of their time let alone five hours! If so, please tell us. Or email Jon.Bright - at - opendemocracy.net if you want to let us know privately.
But that is not all, keen readers of OK will recall that last year I wondered if he was the right man to look after the future of our citizenship when at the same time "On 26 September Citizen Goldsmith pocked a cool £1 million a year to become European Chair of Litigation for Debevoise & Plimpton" (More details and links provided). Does he charge an hourly oligarch rate on top of his £1million? Or is he seeing them in his personal capacity, meaning he has a third job?
