Christian Aid has urged tax-dodging corporations to echo comedian Jimmy Carr’s apology for tax avoidance and his pledge to pay full tax in future.

Christian Aid and Quakers in Britain are uniting to urge the UK government to impose a ban on the import of Israeli settlement products.

Catholic bishops have called on the EU to tackle corporate tax dodging. They say it deprives the world’s poorest countries of more than £100bn every year.

Christian Aid has criticised the omission from the Queen’s Speech of any mention of legislation committing the UK to spending 0.7 per cent of gross national income on overseas aid.