This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

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

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Corbyn v Cameron at PMQs: Google tax row sparks 'bunch of migrants' jibe Corbyn v Cameron at PMQs: was 'bunch of migrants' jibe intentional?
(35 minutes later)
Key pointsKey points
Related: Cameron mocks Corbyn at PMQs for meeting a 'bunch of migrants' – Politics liveRelated: 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. The came Cameron’s controversial line:
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
Snap verdictSnap 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. One of the most 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.
Related: Sign up to the Guardian's daily emailRelated: Sign up to the Guardian's daily email
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.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.
But what of the “bunch of migrants” comment?
This is unlikely to have been an unscripted error, because riffs like this are scripted. Cameron and his team spent Wednesday morning preparing material like this for PMQs and the trick - which Cameron is rather good at - is to deploy these lines in such a way as to make them as natural as possible.
If it wasn’t unscripted, was it an error? Certainly, if Cameron is worried about maintaining his standing in polite, liberal society (as he should be). But not everyone reads the Guardian, and there large numbers of people who only vaguely follow politics and PMQs who are not at all sympathetic to the plight of the refugees in Calais. (Like other political correspondents, I work in the hermetically-sealed Westminster bubble, but whenever I’m let out to cover a byelection and talk to real people, I tend to come back horrified by how anti-immigrant some of them are.)
In truth, as the New Statesman’s George Eaton suggests, this may be another example of Lynton Crosby’s dead cat. A tactic Cameron’s chief strategist employs of throwing out a controversy in order to distract from the real story, in this case Google’s taxes. It might not be an intentional feline corpse, but it is certainly generating a row, probably at no great political cost, with the advantage of distracting attention from an area of weakness.
Best linesBest 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. For Cameron, he might not consider it his best, but the “bunch of migrants” comment was certainly the most memorable.
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.