Commons People Politics Podcast: Brexit, Jeremy Corbyn, Taxes And Academies

Commons People Politics Podcast: Brexit, Jeremy Corbyn, Taxes And Academies

With just 70 days to go until the EU referendum, we now know the shape of the two teams who will be fighting it out to win the support of the British public.

The Electoral Commission has ruled that Vote Leave – the Brexit Group supported by Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and Douglas Carswell – will be the official Leave group

That means the Nigel Farage backed Grassroots Out movement missed out on designation, which could see a reduced role for the Ukip leader in the campaign.

However, after months of bitterness between the two groups, peace could be breaking out, with Vote Leave’s Chris Grayling due to share a stage with Farage at a Grassroots Out meeting on Monday.

With the Brexiters seeming to come together, the pressure is now on the Remainers to put forward a compelling case for the UK staying in the EU. One mane who has a key role to play in this – whether he likes it or not – is Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

This morning he made his first major speech on the issue since becoming party leader, putting forward the socialist case for Europe focused on workers rights.

However, he has not always been such a supporter of the European project, and is working hard to convince Labour voters he truly does believe the UK should remain in the EU.

The Commons returned from its spring recess this week, and one of the first orders of business involved David Cameron making a statement on the Panama Papers.

The Prime Minister addressed the Commons on Monday, where he again claimed neither he nor his father had done nothing in relation to the Blairmore Holdings company created by his father which was based off-shore.

Corbyn followed the lead of the Prime Minister and the Chancellor by publishing his own tax return, which revealed he’d actually over paid the taxman.

But it wasn't Corbyn or Cameron who stole the show in the Chamber.

Amid the talk of Europe, taxes and of course the UK steel industry, a mini-Tory rebellion has almost gone unnoticed on the forced academisation of all schools.

In the Commons yesterday, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan faced a barrage of criticism from fellow Conservatives over all state schools becoming academies by 2020 - or have plans to do so by 2022.

In a debate called by the Labour Party, one Tory after another stood up to raise concerns over “compulsory academisation”.

Earlier in the day, Tory backbencher Stewart Jackson, who said the plan was “rushed, ill-thought out and flawed”, claimed ministers would have to “dump it before too long” - signalling many expected a U-turn.

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