I have campaigned against corrupt practices in the parliament, and have caused quite a stir at home and abroad. I was pleased to see some of my own suggestions to resolve the situation appear as possible amendments to the 2012 budget. One, restricting the right of MEPs to claim expenses in Brussels and Strasborg to days when they actually do some work was rejected. Shameful, but predictable.
There was also an amendment calling for MEPs to receive no pay increase in 2012. This was also rejected. Just for the recorded, British Labour and Lib Dem MEPs voted to protect their expenses, and to give themselves a pay increase. That might be worth remembering when Tweedle Dum or Tweedle Dee appear on TV telling us how bad the economic situation is, and how their party is sharing our pain and doing everything it can to get us out of this crisis!
