BBC Radio 5 live

A band made up of supporters of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn have released what they hope to be the next Christmas classic.

The Corbynistas’ single, ‘JC 4 PM 4 Me’, was written by Robb Johnson who told 5 Live he wrote it during the leadership contest to show his support for Corbyn. 

Mr Johnson said: “It’s a cheery little sing-along number.”

“I don’t know if Jeremy has heard it – he’ll be chuffed, I expect,” he added.

European Parliament
Brussels

Polish centre-right MEP Dariusz Rosati asks what EU countries might do in order to "reduce the incentives" of tax havens. 

He also asks how the EU countries might push for global agreement in this area without running into the charge they are infringing other nations' sovereignty. 

Prof Stiglitz says that "responsible sovereignty" should preclude policies "which hurt other countries". 

He says that countries that refused to comply with global norms could have their right to have European and American banks as "interlocutors" cut off.

House of Commons
Parliament

Business in the Commons will start at 11:30am with questions to the International Development Secretary Priti Patel.

Then Theresa May will come to the chamber for Prime Minister's Questions after which there will be an urgent question.

Labour's Stella Creasy will be asking about children in the Calais camp and the implementation of section 67 of the Immigration Act.  

SNP MP Alison Thewliss will introduce her bill on the advertising of feeding products for babies and children.

The rest of the day will be taken up with two opposition day debates. The first is on the Autumn Statement distributional analysis, universal credit and employment support allowance. The second looks at social care.

The day wraps up with an adjournment debate on prison officer safety. 

European Parliament
Brussels

Danish social democrat Jeppe Kofod, who is one of the "co-rapporteurs" of the committee's report, asks Professor Stiglitz what sanctions could be put on the "enablers" of tax avoidance - such as banks and lawyers who construct complex tax structures. 

Prof Stiglitz replies that in his report he advocates "very strong sanctions" against both countries and firms that do not comply with increased transparency requirements. 

He says that for firms, this could include removing their business licence to operate.

Select Committee
Parliament

Conservative MP Alistair Burt suggests that the UK's negotiating counterparts will "already know what our objectives will be" and asks the witnesses for their view on the negotiations being made public. 

Former civil servant Sir Simon Fraser says "the scope of negotiations" the UK government is seeking will be "known to the other side" but notes that the "government is still in the process of forming a position".

Sir Simon tells Mr Burt that the negotiation process will be "transparent" because it will consist of an open debate between the UK and the European Union and its member states. As a result, he says there will be a "fair degree of visibility" in the negotiating process. 

Norman Smith
Assistant political editor

Labour are calling on the goverment to intervene following the latest setback to the child abuse inquiry.

The shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said ministers now needed to "address the crisis of credibility" facing the inquiry.

This follows the resignation of another key figure in the inquiry team - Aileen McColgan - who was in charge of the investigation into alleged abuse by the Catholic and Anglican churches.

There are also reports - of further possible resignations - by other lawyers involved in the inquiry team.

Ms Abbott said the prime minister and the home secretary needed to explain to MPs what was going wrong at the inquiry.

"The inquiry was established by Theresa May and it clearly isn't working," said Mrs Abbott.

"The victims of child sex abuse have put their faith in this inquiry. The very least they deserve is some openness from government, and an explanation for what is going on."

Last week the former chair of the inquiry Lowell Goddard refused to appear before MPs to expalin why she had resigned.

However she attacked the media for its coverage of her and accused the government of failing to defend her.

The inquiry is now on its fourth chairman in two years.

The World Tonight

Ex-Conservative MP Harvey Proctor is considering legal action against the Metropolitan Police following a highly critical report on the Met's investigation of child sexual abuse allegations against him. 

Mr Proctor has been given a face-to-face apology by the Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe after a former judge revealed failings in the police investigations into the ex-MP and others. 

He was accused by a man, known by the pseudonym Nick, of child rape and murder in October 2014. 

Mr Proctor told presenter Ritula Shah about the stress and strain he had suffered over an 18 month period.  

European Parliament
Brussels

Prof Stiglitz continues that tackling secretive tax structures will require a "comprehensive global approach", and a "zero tolerance" stance towards tax secrecy. 

However, he says that Europe on its own can still have a "very significant impact" and could "make a very big difference". 

He says that there has been "some response" from the US Treasury to the Panama disclosures, but that he is "not hopeful" this will continue under Donald Trump, whom he describes as a "tax evader" himself.  

He says that the one issue he would like to highlight is the issue of beneficial ownership - which allows individuals to create a "complex web" of shell companies to hide their involvement. 

He tells MEPs that he therefore advocates establishing "publicly searchable registries" of beneficial owners available to tax authorities and the media. 

Select Committee
Parliament

SNP MP Joanna Cherry asks the witnesses what "has been kept secret" from the public and the effect that this has had on hampering preparations for leaving the European Union.

Dr White of the Institute for Government says there could be "a great deal more clarity" on the process the government has in place to reach the forthcoming Article 50 negotiations. 

Dr White emphasises the need for "forward sight" of parliamentary debates, of which the committee will want to inform but says that it is unclear when these will take place.

European Parliament
Brussels

Joseph Stiglitz kicks the sitting off with a short speech, in which he tells MEPs that secretive tax structures have a "pernicious effect on the global society".

He says that the Panama Papers leaks brought home how "secrecy havens" are used to conceal a "whole range of nefarious activities ". 

He adds that he originally agreed to join the Panamian government's panel to help show a "model of what could be done" in this area - particularly in the United States.  

Secretive tax havens are, he says, the "darker side of globalisation".

Select Committee
Parliament

Mark Durkan MP, representing the Social Democratic and Labour Party of Northern Ireland, asks the witnesses whether Whitehall is geared to the "needs and requirements" of the involving the devolved nations in the forthcoming negotiations.

Dr White says the UK government should lead the Brexit process and have "the final say", but says it is important that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are "brought to the table". 

European Parliament
Brussels

Hello and welcome to coverage of the European Parliament’s inquiry committee into the Panama Papers affair.

This morning the committee will be taking evidence from Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, who in August quit an advisory panel to Panama's government set up after the scandal.

Mr Stiglitz and Swiss anti-corruption expert Mark Pieth said they were concerned that the panel's final report would not be published.

"We can only infer that the government is facing pressure from those who are making profits from the current non-transparent financial system in Panama," Mr Stiglitz told Reuters at the time. 

The Panamian government said it was committed to transparency, and attributed the resignations to “internal differences”.

Yesterday Mr Stiglitz and Mr Peith published their own report, external, which advocated cutting non-cooperative tax havens off from the global financial system. 

Select Committee
Parliament

Labour MP Pat McFadden says there's been an assumption that there will be "two negotations in parallel" - divorce negotiation and future relationship. 

Mr McFadden asks the witnesses what they think of negotiating the Article 50 'divorce' first, followed by the future relationship with the EU.

Sir Simon says the "orthodox position" is that Article 50 negotiation must be completed first but in practical terms "this isn't a very realistic position to take" and wouldn't be "advantageous". 

He also says that the sequencing of negotiations must be agreed with the European Union and its member states.  

Speaking after the resignation of barrister Aileen McColgan, Diane Abbott said: “The resignation of yet another senior lawyer will come as a major blow to the victims of child sex abuse, along with reports of more resignations to come.

“The inquiry was established by Theresa May and it clearly isn't working. She and Amber Rudd need to explain to Parliament what is going on and how they intend to address this crisis of credibility.

“The victims of child sex abuse have put their faith in this inquiry. The very least they deserve is some openness from government, and an explanation for what is going on."

Read more...

Select Committee
Parliament

Conservative MP Michael Gove asks about the timeframe of the Article 50 negotiations and says that there are aspects of the deal "which many seek to overcomplicate" but could be "concluded quickly".

Sir Simon Fraser tells Mr Gove that complexities will occur because the negotiations are both about "setting terms for departure and nature of our future relationship".

"Oversimplifying the negotiations should be avoided," Sir Simon adds. 

Image source, CTCV

A review led by Tottenham MP David Lammy has published its initial findings on racial inequality in the criminal justice system. 

The review commissioned research that found  for every 100 white women handed prison sentences at Crown courts for drug offences, 227 black women were sentenced to custody. 

For black men, this figure is 141 for every 100 white men.

Among all those found guilty at Crown Court in 2014, 112 black men were sentenced to custody for every 100 white men  

It also found the number of Muslim prisoners in the UK has almost doubled in the last decade.

David Lammy said: “We need to fully understand why, for example, ethnic minority defendants are more likely to receive prison sentences than white defendants.

“These are complex issues and I will dig deeper to in the coming months to establish whether bias is a factor."

Select Committee
Parliament

Professor Catherine Barnard of the University of Cambridge tells the committee that the importance and involvement of the European Parliament has so far been "underestimated".

"It is flexing its muscles," she says, and "not enough attention" has been paid to its role in the forthcoming Brexit negotiations. 

Select Committee
Parliament

Labour MP Seema Malhotra asks about transition arrangements for Brexit within the civil service and the impact this would have on other areas of government work. 

Dr White says quite a lot of the skills and expertise will be in departments themselves and the negotiations will require "few people in the room".

Dr White said it would "prudent" for government departments to be thinking in terms of contingency plans. 

For example, she says the Home Office is not going to be able to come up with a new immigration policy overnight. 

Coverage of Wednesday at the Northern Ireland Assembly, as human rights bodies brief the Executive Office Committee.