A Day In Brussels

MEPs at work.

This is productivity in Brussels.

They get €8,000+ a month for their efforts.

They receive very generous expenses too.

€8,000+ a month

Working for the good of their countries

Yes they're paid €8,000+ a month.

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Scottish MEPs Don't Give Value for Money

The Dundee Courier has an article today which claims Scottish MEPs are not giving value for money.  According to a damning new TaxPayers' Alliance report now Scottish MEPs have been criticised for their work-effort  - although the Scottish Labour Party has said it is the product of a "shadowy right-wing campaign group."

The TaxPayers Alliance has graded all UK MEPs on the number of parliamentary questions asked, their campaigning activity, voting activity on issues important to the pressure group - such as spending controls and anti-corruption legislation - and the transparency of their expenses to give an overall percentage score.

Only 16 MEPs scored more than 50%.  The highest score of 79% was achieved by Northern Ireland MEP Jim Allister, who was elected as a Democratic Unionist but now sits as an independent.  Two English Tory MEPs came bottom of the survey with 0%.

Scotland's top-ranked MEP, Struan Stevenson, only scored 36% followed by the SNP's Alyn Smith with 35% and Labour MEP Catherine Stihler with 32%.

Labour's David Martin had a score of 25% while Conservative John Purvis achieved 24%. Elspeth Attwooll, Lib Dem, scored 20%. The SNP president Ian Hudghton is the lowest ranked Scottish MEP.  He is joint 67th out of the UK's 78 MEPs with a score of just 11%.

A recent survey conducted by votewatchEU.eu, an independent monitor of European Union politics, found the two SNP MEPs had the worst attendance records of Scotland's sitting MEPs. Ian Hudghton attended 81% of plenary sessions (243 out of a possible 299) while Alyn Smith attended 82% of them.  However, Ms Smith asked 305 questions at the European Parliament between 2004 and this year, second only to Ms Stihler who asked 320.  By comparison Mr Hudghton asked 13 questions.

A spokesman for the Scottish Labour Party said the results of the TayPayers Alliance survey favoured those parties that have similar goals to the press ure group.  He said the votewatchEU.eu survey was a more accurate reflection of the work of his party's MEPs.

A spokesman for the SNP said, "Our campaign is going well.  We are trying to fight a positive campaign."

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The EU and the Over 50s

Having had the misfortune to be forced to stay indoors for the past few days, I decided to do a little research regarding the Euro elections on Thursday.  All of my friends will vote, although one is hesitant, but remember the vast number questioned by me are all in the 50+ age group and more likely to vote than any other group.  My wee survey was answered by all who telephoned or visited to ask after my wellbeing and the number was 15.  Hopefully Jeff will be impressed.

My questions did not include 'which party will you vote for' but were about the EU in general. A few of the main points raised were:

1 Why do we stay in the EU when we're unhappy with the fishing policies and fishing is one of our main industries?

2 We need a referendum on the EU.  

3. The Council of Europe looks far more appropriate for Scotland.

4. What does an MEP actually do?  I've asked mine and what he said had no meaning at all.

Of course the matter of MPs, MEPs and councillors expenses came up during our chats and it was agreed by all that any political person who wishes to put themselves up for election, should provide a detailed CV along with or included in their election material.

 

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Check Out Your MEP's Voting Record

This site is worth visiting if you're interested in MEPs' voting records.  

Just trying to do my bit to stimulate enthusiasm for the European elections!

Thanks to CallingEngland

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SNP MEPs to Publish Expenses Within Days

All parties were scrambling yesterday to prove their expenses were legitimate and those who hadn't yet published them were pledging to make them more transparent and open to public scrutiny.

SNP deputy leader Nicola Sturgeon pledged her party will follow Holyrood's example and back every claim with a receipt.  The party's manifesto commits its MEPs to publish a quarterly breakdown of all office, accommodation and travel costs and wants the same rules applied across the European Parliament.

SNP president and MEP Ian Hudghton said the new expenses regime would be online "within a day or two."  So Ian, you have until Thursday to have them online.  

How I wish my post was a little responsible for this welcome and more immediate action from the SNP but it wasn't of course.  However, thankfully the SNP have wakened up to the fact that these details must be available before the Euro elections, making this step one which can only work in their favour.

Update:  Thanks to Calum Cashley for providing the correct URL for Ian Hudghton's expenses:  

http://www.dundeesnp.org/IanHudghton_Jan-May09.pdf

Source:  The Herald

  

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Nice Work If You Can Get It

Eighteen "phantom" MEPs will be elected on full pay and perks next month despite not being able to start work for up to two years due to Ireland's rejection of the Lisbon Treaty.

The extra candidates will be chosen in the EU elections on 4 June despite the agreement, which increases the number of MEPs from 736 to 754, remaining unsigned.  Amid confusion over when and how they will take up their seats, the European Parliament has decided to give the MEPs only 'observer' status from next year.

The deal will mean they can draw full salaries and allowances at an annual cost of over £6m without any legislative duties to carry out.  The 18 MEPs, from 12 EU countries, including Britain's West Midlands region, will be paid more than £76.000 a year, with staff and office allowances worth £210,000.  They will also be entitled to tax-free allowances of £255 for every day of the limbo existence in Brussels and can claim back business class travel.

Ireland votes again on the Lisbon Treaty this autumn with the intention tat it can enter into force from Jan 2010 but an additional legal 'protocol' allowing the MEPs to assume full duties could take another two years.  Richard Corbett, the Labour MEP who guided the Lisbon Treaty through the European Parliament, defended the arrangement to make them 'observers'.  "This is straightforward and there is no need to make a fuss," he said. "They can do all the work of an MEP except taking part in votes.  This is a way of making a smooth transition and has been done before." 

What a blatant disregard of legislation or is this case non-legislation. No further MEPs should be elected until the Lisbon Treaty has been signed.  Why is it, in a democracy, we allow this type of arrangement? Is there nobody to police the decisions of the EU or are they all lacking in common sense ?  No guesses which party Britain's ghost MEP will represent.

Source:  The Telegraph

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Euro Elections - SNP Must Show Leadership

L to R:  Ian Hudghton, Catherine Stihler, Struan Stevenson

Euro MPs seeking re-election, are refusing to give details of their own expenses - despite the scandal rocking Westminster.  The SNP and Labour said they would publish details of their candidates' expenses only if they are elected on June 4.

With all hopefuls promising to clean up MEPs' expenses the Courier yesterday tried to discover how much taxpayer's money is being claimed by three candidates hoping to be returned to Brussels for another five-year-stint, Labour's Catherine Stihler, the SNP's Ian Hudghton and Tory Struan Stevenson.

However Mr Stevenson, who five years ago was caught signing in at the European Parliament and leaving straight away, was the only candidate prepared to expose details of his expenses to public scrutiny online.  His latest expenses show travel costs to Brussels and Strasbourg of €16,000 and his travel at home in Scotland another £6,486.  He claimed €16,000 for 56 days' attendance at a rate of about £250 a day on top of a salary of £68,000.

Ms Stihler has been very vocal about demanding greater transparency for MEPs' expenses but, although her website provides details of how many staff she employs, there are no details of her claims or the amounts she has received in expenses.

Mr Hudghton says he too will only publish details of his expenses after the Euro election on 4 June. "I am committed, as are all SNP candidates and MEPs, to publishing allowance claims and expenditure in the future and for the previous parliamentary term, to the same principles and high standard as the Holyrood parliament as soon as is practicable with the most recent six months a priority and I hope all Scotland's European candidates will agree to do the same."

Not nearly good enough Ms Stihler and Mr Hudghton, 'as soon as is practicable' is an opt-out and a weak excuse.  You all have staff who should have your accounts up to date, after all we pay for you and them. I want to see how much the present incumbents have spent before I place my cross, not after and it is my view that many will feel the same. 

To say I'm not pleased with the SNP's handling of the expenses debacle, both at Westminster and now Europe, is putting it mildly. They appear to be keeping their heads in the sand in the hope that the issue will eventually drift out of the headlines.  Let me assure Alex Salmond, the public now want to know how their money is being spent and it's up to you to show leadership and publish these accounts now - not after 4 June.  Even though Struan Stevenson was found to be cheating, now he's making his expenses transparent he'll receive far more votes than he deserves.

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Sign and Run German Style

Remember this when you vote in June.  No European country is better than another but a German journalist tries his best to expose Germany's MEPs who partake in the attendance scam.

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