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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jan/27/jeremy-corbyn-v-david-cameron-pmqs-clash
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| Corbyn v Cameron at PMQs: Google tax row sparks 'bunch of migrants' jibe | Corbyn v Cameron at PMQs: Google tax row sparks 'bunch of migrants' jibe |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Key points | Key points |
| Related: Cameron mocks Corbyn at PMQs for meeting a 'bunch of migrants' – Politics live | Related: Cameron mocks Corbyn at PMQs for meeting a 'bunch of migrants' – Politics live |
| Jeremy Corbyn pressed David Cameron over the tax settlement with Google, asking him to dispute the figure of a 3% tax rate for the company in the UK. This week, he cited a constituent, “Geoff”, who wanted to know whether he could get on a tax scheme with a similar rate. Cameron pushed back hard, claiming that his government had tackled Google’s taxes in a way that the previous Labour government had failed to. Corbyn insisted that the Labour government had started the inquiries into Google’s tax affairs. | Jeremy Corbyn pressed David Cameron over the tax settlement with Google, asking him to dispute the figure of a 3% tax rate for the company in the UK. This week, he cited a constituent, “Geoff”, who wanted to know whether he could get on a tax scheme with a similar rate. Cameron pushed back hard, claiming that his government had tackled Google’s taxes in a way that the previous Labour government had failed to. Corbyn insisted that the Labour government had started the inquiries into Google’s tax affairs. |
| Snap verdict | Snap verdict |
| One of the sparkiest exchanges for some time. As often happens, the prime minister had the best lines. His riff on Blair, Brown and Alistair Darling and their new careers in banking was very good, and he had an effective pre-cooked soundbite on Corbyn and the unions, the Falklands, migrants etc. | |
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| But, while in normal circumstances a prime minister can make headway by attacking the opposition, trying to blame Corbyn for the failings of New Labour is a total lost cause. Implying that Corbyn and John McDonnell would be soft on banks was also particularly unconvincing. Public anger over Google is real, and Corbyn articulated it very well. | |
| Best lines | Best lines |
| Corbyn cited the Tories’ internal conflict over exactly how successful the Google tax deal is, saying the chancellor described it as a “major success”, the prime minister’s official spokesman called it a “step forward” and the mayor of London labelled it “derisory”. | Corbyn cited the Tories’ internal conflict over exactly how successful the Google tax deal is, saying the chancellor described it as a “major success”, the prime minister’s official spokesman called it a “step forward” and the mayor of London labelled it “derisory”. |
| Cameron finished the exchange with a flourish and a controversial reference to a “bunch of migrants” in Calais. | Cameron finished the exchange with a flourish and a controversial reference to a “bunch of migrants” in Calais. |
| The idea that those two right honourable gentlemen would stand up to anyone in that regard is laughable. They met with the unions, they gave them flying pickets. They met with the Argentinians, they gave them the Falklands. They met with a bunch of migrants in Calais and said they could come to Britain. The only people they never stand up for are hardworking British families. | |
| For more on PMQs, read our politics live blog with Andrew Sparrow. | For more on PMQs, read our politics live blog with Andrew Sparrow. |