In his letter the minister raised a number of questions, including whether Lord Wolfson played a role in formulating the party’s position on transferring the funds from the sale of Chelsea FC and whether he declared an interest or recused himself from the process.
Richards said the “cab rank rule” – the principle that a barrister must take on any case that is within their area of expertise, regardless of the client – “should always be respected, but it cannot remove conflicts of interest, or eliminate the responsibility of politicians to avoid such conflicts”.
He added: “Lord Wolfson’s ability to advise you in respect of this matter is clearly compromised by the fact that he is being paid to act on behalf of Mr Abramovich.
“If he wants to continue to represent clients whose interests directly bear on the policies of the government and HM opposition that is a matter for him – but he cannot do it while serving in your shadow cabinet.”
In response, a Conservative Party spokesperson said: “Lord Wolfson is instructed in on-going legal proceedings in Jersey. He is not instructed on the Chelsea FC matter.
“Jake Richards’ comments are pure politics, and they show Labour still does not understand how the Bar works. Barristers act for clients, not causes.”
The spokesperson accused Labour of “rank hypocrisy”, pointing out that Attorney General Lord Hermer – the government’s chief legal adviser – previously represented former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams before he became a minister, external.
They added: “The Conservative Party led the way on supporting Ukraine and we remain committed to their cause. To suggest anything else is just Labour sinking to new depths.”
