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/news/2016/apr/10/jeremy-corbyn-suggests-all-mps-should-publish-tax-returns
The article has changed 17 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Jeremy Corbyn suggests all MPs should publish tax returns | Jeremy Corbyn suggests all MPs should publish tax returns |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Jeremy Corbyn has suggested that all politicians and other public figures should publish their tax returns, after the prime minister bowed to public pressure by revealing six years of personal receipts. | Jeremy Corbyn has suggested that all politicians and other public figures should publish their tax returns, after the prime minister bowed to public pressure by revealing six years of personal receipts. |
| Related: What’s in David Cameron’s tax returns: a few strokes of luck but no shady shenanigans | Related: What’s in David Cameron’s tax returns: a few strokes of luck but no shady shenanigans |
| The shadow chancellor, John McDonnell was quick to back up the Labour leader’s position, and said he could see no problem with a rule compelling all MPs to provide such information. | The shadow chancellor, John McDonnell was quick to back up the Labour leader’s position, and said he could see no problem with a rule compelling all MPs to provide such information. |
| Even a cabinet member conceded that it ought to be considered. The energy secretary, Amber Rudd, said it was not the right move in her opinion, but that it was worth looking into. | Even a cabinet member conceded that it ought to be considered. The energy secretary, Amber Rudd, said it was not the right move in her opinion, but that it was worth looking into. |
| The defence minister, Penny Mordaunt, went further, conceding that public pressure might make the move inevitable. “This will raise questions about politicians publishing further information about themselves. Although I understand arguments about privacy and security, if that is what the electorate require of their elected officials I think that’s what will have to happen.” | |
| Corbyn also said David Cameron ought to face questions from the parliamentary standards commissioner over the shares he held in an offshore trust set up by his late father, after a Labour MP made a complaint that could trigger an investigation. | Corbyn also said David Cameron ought to face questions from the parliamentary standards commissioner over the shares he held in an offshore trust set up by his late father, after a Labour MP made a complaint that could trigger an investigation. |
| John Mann referred Cameron to the commissioner, Katherine Hudson, saying that his failure to declare £30,000 made from the sale of shares in the trust may have broken the ethos of the rules. | John Mann referred Cameron to the commissioner, Katherine Hudson, saying that his failure to declare £30,000 made from the sale of shares in the trust may have broken the ethos of the rules. |
| Downing Street has pointed out that the money Cameron invested was well below the threshold that requires a submission, and said its rules suggested unit trusts were not normally listed. | Downing Street has pointed out that the money Cameron invested was well below the threshold that requires a submission, and said its rules suggested unit trusts were not normally listed. |
| Corbyn, however, said: “I think there is a question for parliament there. There is a question for parliamentary standards … There has been a series of changing stories coming out of Downing Street. There has been a statement roughly every 18 to 24 hours since last Monday.” | Corbyn, however, said: “I think there is a question for parliament there. There is a question for parliamentary standards … There has been a series of changing stories coming out of Downing Street. There has been a statement roughly every 18 to 24 hours since last Monday.” |
| Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, he said Labour would propose tougher parliamentary registration rules that would mean overseas assets had to be declared at a much lower value. | Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, he said Labour would propose tougher parliamentary registration rules that would mean overseas assets had to be declared at a much lower value. |
| Related: David Cameron: I know I should have handled it better. Not a great week | Related: David Cameron: I know I should have handled it better. Not a great week |
| Asked if more MPs and even political journalists should publish their income tax returns, he said: “I think we are moving in that direction. I think it is a good thing so everyone knows what influences are at play.” | Asked if more MPs and even political journalists should publish their income tax returns, he said: “I think we are moving in that direction. I think it is a good thing so everyone knows what influences are at play.” |
| He said openness about potential influence was crucial when politicians were making decisions. | He said openness about potential influence was crucial when politicians were making decisions. |
| The questions for Cameron, he added, were whether he benefited from the offshore trust before 2010, and why the money was placed in an overseas tax haven in the first place. | The questions for Cameron, he added, were whether he benefited from the offshore trust before 2010, and why the money was placed in an overseas tax haven in the first place. |
| Corbyn’s comments came after the prime minister took an unprecedented decision to release his personal tax records on Saturday, revealing that his mother had transferred two separate payments of £100,000 to his accounts in 2011, allowing the family estate to avoid a pontential £80,000 in inheritance tax. | Corbyn’s comments came after the prime minister took an unprecedented decision to release his personal tax records on Saturday, revealing that his mother had transferred two separate payments of £100,000 to his accounts in 2011, allowing the family estate to avoid a pontential £80,000 in inheritance tax. |
| Corbyn said the Panama Papers had revealed tax avoidance and evasion on an “industrial scale” and were the tip of the iceberg. | Corbyn said the Panama Papers had revealed tax avoidance and evasion on an “industrial scale” and were the tip of the iceberg. |
| “What is more important is looking at the issue of tax havens, of British overseas territories, of the way in which large sums of money, huge sums of money are placed in these havens to avoid tax. There is a moral case. If you earn money you pay tax. If you earn a lot of money you pay more tax.” | “What is more important is looking at the issue of tax havens, of British overseas territories, of the way in which large sums of money, huge sums of money are placed in these havens to avoid tax. There is a moral case. If you earn money you pay tax. If you earn a lot of money you pay more tax.” |
| One Conservative minister hit out at Corbyn for his attacks on the prime minister. | |
| Justice Minister Dominic Raab said the Labour leader had promised a “kinder politics” but was now “whipping up a mob mentality”. | |
| “Amidst all the froth and frenzy of the media debate, it seems crystal clear not only that he’s not done anything illegal, but that he’s not behaved improperly in any way. And he’s gone further than any Prime Minister previously in publishing these tax returns and I think he wanted to show he’s got nothing to hide,” Raab told Sky News’ Murnaghan show. | |
| “Frankly some of the personalised attacks on him and his father have been deeply unsavoury,” he added, saying some Labour MPs were “behaving like frankly hyenas”. |