Having discovered that a relatively empty shopping centre in Slough is owned by the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority I began looking at how foreign companies and individuals are buying up much of London's prime properties and businesses. The tiny Middle Eastern country, #Qatar owns #harrods The Ritz Hotel, the Shard and #canarywharf Many other famous department stores and hotels are also foreign owned.
Foreign nationals own thousands of prime properties in central London often hiding behind companies in tax havens.
The extent of foreign ownership of so many prime properties and businesses is alarming.
London is well-known as the #moneylaundering capital of the world and little seems to be done to investigate the source of money used to buy properties. In five years just four Unexplained Wealth Orders have been issued.
Many well-known brands such as Rolls Royce, Heathrow Airport and even Newcastle Brown Ale are now foreign owned as are fifteen of the UK's premiership football clubs.
The railways, water companies, gas and electricity companies all have substantial and often majority foreign owners. Our 42 offshore windfarms are all foreign owned as is the new Hinkley Point nuclear power station which is jointly owned by the French government and the Chinese.