Rochdale politican nominated for MEP of the Year award

Chris Davies MEP

A Rochdale Euro-MP has been nominated for a prestigious award by a panel of leading opinion formers.

Seven distinguished judges, including former Belgian prime minister Wilfried Martens, have identified Chris Davies as an MEP who has most influenced the EU’s agenda over the last year.

The panel selected the Liberal Democrat as a contender for ‘MEP of the Year’ for blowing the whistle on abuses of MEP expenses earlier this year.

The European Voice Newspaper Awards acknowledge and celebrate the work of politicians and EU officials within five categories: National politicians, European Commissioners, MEP of the Year, EU Officials, and Inspiration of the Year.

Notable nominees include the French prime minister Nicolas Sarkozy and Jean-Claude Trichet, president of the European Central Bank.

Chris Davies is delighted his name has been put forward for the award but has described progress on improving the financial accountability of MEPs as ‘mixed’.

He said: “For every two steps forward at least one is taken backwards by those who seek to obstruct improvement.”

New arrangements for the employment of MEP staff in Brussels are due to be introduced next year and details of the expenses available to parliamentarians are now published on the internet.

However, Mr Davies said it was deplorable that those responsible for the finances had refused to support plans for accountants to carry out spot checks on MEPs, had failed to require receipts to be kept for office expenses, and still left the conditions for the employment of other staff opaque.

He said: “We have a very long way to go before the procedures are as tight as one might expect of well managed public organisations.”

The closing date for voting is 16 November and the winners will be announced at a gala dinner to be held in Brussels on 2 December.