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DAVID CAMERON was told yesterday to sort out Britain’s tax avoidance situation before lecturing other countries about corruption after he made disparaging comments about Nigeria and Afghanistan.
The Prime Minister described the two countries as “fantastically corrupt” in a conversation with the Queen that was picked up by a nearby camera crew.
His remarks overshadowed the first day of the government’s anti-corruption summit, taking place in the shadow of the Panama Papers scandal, that representatives of both states are attending.
Mr Cameron joked that he “had better check the microphone is on before speaking” as Prime Minister’s Questions got underway, but he faced serious questions about his own record of tackling corruption.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn demanded to know what practical action the PM was taking to stop overseas British territories operating as tax havens.
“We need a British government who are prepared to chase down this level of corruption,” he told Mr Cameron.
The Prime Minister insisted he had “done more than any previous government” to clamp down on tax avoidance.
But he admitted that the government was disappointed it had not secured the public registers of company ownership for offshore territories that campaigning charities such as Oxfam and Action Aid called for.
Mr Cameron also refused to confirm that Tory Euro-MPs would vote today for new measures on country-by-country tax transparency reporting being considered in the European Parliament.
SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson said the PM had his own questions to answer on corruption amid the criminal investigations of Conservative MPs for potential electoral fraud.
“David Cameron needs to stop ignoring the scandal his party has found itself in and hold himself to the same standards as he holds others when it comes to corruption.”
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who is attending the summit, said he did not want an apology from Mr Cameron but a “return of assets.”
“What would I do with an apology? I need something tangible,” he said.
