The Clooneys Dine With Ed Milliband re Russian justice

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Revealed: Ed Miliband's dinner with George and Amal Clooney
Exclusive: Labour leader discussed possible sanctions on Russian judges and tax officials with Hollywood's hottest couple


By Matthew Holehouse, Political Correspondent12:17PM GMT 12 Jan 2015


Ed Miliband shared an intimate dinner with George Clooney and his wife Amal, a human rights lawyer, to discuss fresh sanctions on Vladimir Putin’s regime, The Telegraph can disclose.
Mr Miliband is now considering plans to block a ring of Russian judges and tax officials from entering Britain after discussing the proposals at a dinner with the Clooneys at the London mansion of a leading barrister.
The Labour leader was briefed on proposals to implement a "Magnitsky law" over a private meal with the Hollywood actor and his wife, Amal, the human rights lawyer.
Sergei Magnitsky was a Russian accountant who died after months of brutal beatings in prison after blowing the whistle on a vast fraud perpetrated by corrupt state officials against a Guernsey-based investment fund.
Under measures adopted by the United States, 34 police chiefs, judges and tax officials involved in Mr Magnitsky’s prosecution and death are banned from entering the country.
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Campaigners now want to see similar measures imposed in Britain, which could be brought into law as an amendment to Theresa May’s Serious Crime Bill. The proposals are backed by a group of Labour and Tory backbench MPs.
Any amendment would have a far greater chance of success with the Labour leader's support.
Mr Miliband was briefed on the campaign over dinner at the London home of
Geoffrey Robertson QC, the human rights barrister who is campaigning
for a Magnitsky Law in Britain.

Mrs Clooney is a barrister at Mr Robertson’s chambers, Doughty Street, and has represented clients at the International Criminal Court.
Bill Browder, whose firm Hermitage Capital Management was the victim of the £150 million fraud after being raided by Russian police, explained the details of the case to the Labour leader.

Mr Clooney, who is regularly hailed as the world’s most attractive man by fans and is worth around £120 million, has read Mr Browder’s forthcoming book on the case,
Red Notice: How I became Putin No 1 Enemy.
The star told the gathering that he believes the book could be made into a movie,
it is understood.
One source said Mr Miliband had researched the case before the dinner, and appeared “very keen” on the proposals afterwards. He is also understood to have discussed the case to his brother, David.
However, Mr Miliband's spokesman played down his interest in the proposals at a time of intense campaigning for the general election, saying: “It’s not something I’ve heard him talk about."
The dinner sheds new light on the Labour leader’s foreign policy concerns,
as well as his social life.
Mr and Mrs Clooney’s September wedding in Venice was a carnival for the world’s celebrity press, with four days of parties, gala dinners and water taxi rides attended
by a string of Hollywood’s greatest stars.

Mr Miliband, meanwhile, has cut a far more reserved figure than some of his predecessors, and has urged voters to focus on his policies rather than his public image. He is said to work late into the night on speeches, before rising early, and is said to drink little. His main passion outside politics is baseball.
He has attacked David Cameron over apparent links between the Conservative Party and wealthy Russian donors.
Despite Tory portrayals of a "weak" leader, Russian diplomats concede Mr Miliband would be no soft touch as Prime Minister, citing his battles with major UK energy companies as evidence that he could be willing to target Moscow's business interests in London.
Mr Magnitsky, an auditor at a Moscow law firm, uncovered the fraud of £150 million by corrupt police and tax officials while acting on behalf of Hermitage. After reporting it to the authorities, he was himself detained in 2008 on suspicion of aiding tax evasion. He died a year later at the age of 37 in a Russian prison after being beaten and denied medical treatment.
In a bizarre and sinister act of defiance against the US, in 2013 Russia tried and convicted Mr Magnitsky posthumously for tax evasion. Putin also banned Americans from adopting Russian orphans.
Mr Browder’s campaign has gathered Russian travel documents which, it says, prove the Russian officials have travelled into Britain – despite denials issued privately by Home Office ministers.

It mentions Theresa May's Serious Crime Bill there. Theresa May apparently lives in Sonning so I wonder if there are any plans for George, Amal and Geoffrey Robertson to meet with her too when the Clooney's are in London again. 

I'm sure Theresa May would be charmed to meet George. 

What about George entering British politics?

George for Prime Minister!

Hebe wrote:It mentions Theresa May's Serious Crime Bill there. Theresa May apparently lives in Sonning so I wonder if there are any plans for George, Amal and Geoffrey Robertson to meet with her too when the Clooney's are in London again. 

I'm sure Theresa May would be charmed to meet George. 

What about George entering British politics?

George for Prime Minister!

Seriously, do you have a clue who Theresa May is?  And her contemptible and incompetant human rights record? Or do you just think she's a politician and lives in Berks where George Cloooney has a house so therefore she's worthy and someone of interest? Please, I mean this sincerely, explain this to me. 

And no thanks to Clooney as PM.

Well, of course he couldn't be because he's British, so I think that may be a joke, don't you?

Theresa May has just a bit on her plate at the moment trying to keep the UK safe, so she probably doesn't see a whole lot of Sonning, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least to hear that they've met.

Milliband, as you know is in Opposition, and I'm sure he's taking soundings from a lot of important people at the mo on all aspects of foreign policy.

Oh, and you probably already know this, but his wife is Justine Thornton, and she's a lawyer

Who is Theresa May?

Though the last part of my post was in fun I found it interesting that Theresa May's Serious Crime Bill could be amended to include sanctions on Russian judges and tax officials as discussed above. Perhaps if they are backing the campaign Amal and George might lend their weight to it through discussion with Theresa May.
Of course, that is simply my thought. I don't expect everyone to agree with it. Whether I think that Ms May is worthy and someone of interest is neither here nor there. She is the person who is involved with the Serious Crime Bill.

For many years I have been interested in human rights and for a long time was part of an Amnesty International group and was often involved in letter writing campaigns and other projects. I find The Telegraph article very interesting and and believe that if the Clooneys can help that is all to the good.

Hebe wrote:Though the last part of my post was in fun I found it interesting that Theresa May's Serious Crime Bill could be amended to include sanctions on Russian judges and tax officials as discussed above. Perhaps if they are backing the campaign Amal and George might lend their weight to it through discussion with Theresa May.
Of course, that is simply my thought. I don't expect everyone to agree with it. Whether I think that Ms May is worthy and someone of interest is neither here nor there. She is the person who is involved with the Serious Crime Bill.

For many years I have been interested in human rights and for a long time was part of an Amnesty International group and was often involved in letter writing campaigns and other projects. I find The Telegraph article very interesting and and believe that if the Clooneys can help that is all to the good.

Hebe, Theresa May unfortunately is anti-everything to do with free speech and human rights.

And yes, of course I knew you were being light-hearted re George for PM. I was just expressing my thoughts on that unlikely possibility. I'm sure you knew that and didn't take it seriously or felt the need to remind me, hilariously!, that he's not eligible to stand

Do you think maybe no drinkies for George in case Amal not proud enough of he, stay sensible George or home alone for future. Hahaha