Campaign trail hits Rochdale

Euro-MP Chris Davies was was in Rochdale this week collecting signatures for a petition calling for all MEPs to be open and honest about the money they claim.

Davies says that he is angry that the behaviour of some MEPs has tarnished the reputation of all.

He said: “I’m proud of the work I do in Brussels, particularly on protecting the environment and promoting green technology. I’m in politics to make a difference for the better, and I get well paid for my efforts. It sickens me that some MEPs think this is not enough and want to milk the system.”

Davies used parliamentary privilege last month to claim that North West MEP Den Dover should be in jail. Thrown out of the Conservative Party after it was revealed that he had paid a staff budget of £758,000 to a company owned by his wife and daughter, which bought BMW cars and carried out repairs to his home, Dover has been ordered by the European Parliament to pay back £500,000.

Last year Davies leaked a confidential report by European Parliament auditors into malpractices by a number of MEPs. He says that the sums of money involved dwarf those of fellow Parliamentarians at Westminster.

“I am strongly pro-European, so I am sorry to say that the expenses system in the European Parliament is too self-serving. But from what we have now learned of practices in the House of Commons this may come as no surprise.

“Major reforms are being carried out in Brussels, but they still don’t go far enough. We can count on backing from MEPs in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands, but securing a majority for change from 27 different countries on this issue is difficult.

“Party leaders here must take steps to ensure that voters in Britain are offered candidates pledged to be open and honest about the expenses they receive. It’s the vital first step towards securing radical reform and raising the reputation of the European Parliament, which I believe is politically more effective than that at Westminster.”

A total of 94 candidates are fighting for eight seats in the North West Euro elections next month. The other parties are Labour, Conservative, BNP, UKIP, English Democrats, No2EU, Socialist Labour Party, the Greens, the Christan Party, Libertas and Jury Team, plus one independent.

Results will be announced on 7 June after Europe has voted.