Revoking golden visas: Priti Patel must stop London being used as “Putin’s playground"

The Liberal Democrats have written to Home Secretary Priti Patel urging her to set out a clear action plan and timetable to revoke golden visas and stop London being treated as “Putin’s playground.”    It comes after Security Minister Damian Hinds told Times Radio this morning that "there are routes to revoke” existing visas if circumstances called for it.   2,581 investor visas have been granted to Russian citizens through the controversial golden visas scheme since it was introduced in 2008. It’s previously been reported that almost half of the visas granted through the scheme have been reviewed for potential risks to national security.   Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Layla Moran, who wrote the letter to the Home Secretary, said:   “Priti Patel must set out a clear action plan and timetable to revoke golden visas handed out to Russian nationals who pose a potential security risk. Now is the time to send a strong signal that London can no longer be treated as Putin’s playground.    “We need to hit Putin’s regime where it hurts, and that means stopping his oligarch friends using our country as a place to launder their cash and buy up luxury property.   “For years, ministers have dragged their heels and failed to act. Putin’s aggression against Ukraine should be a wake-up call to finally end the pervasive influence of dirty Russian money on our country."