by René Lavanchy
LABOUR MEPs will publish full details of their expenses claims when the newly-elected European Parliament meets, Glenis Wilmott, the party’s leader in Brussels, confirmed this week.
From next month, the MEPs will have receipts of their claims under the £44,000-a-year office allowance published on websites, as well as a breakdown of their travel claims and how often they claim the £260-a-day attendance fee.
The announcement, following discussions between Ms Willmott and Gordon Brown, comes in the wake of tighter expenses arrangements for MEPs agreed earlier this month – as well as the continuing fallout over MPs’ expenses at Westminster.
A spokesperson for the European Parliamentary Labour Party said: “It was under discussion for some time. However, under the current climate, MEPs decided we can publish the receipts. There’s clearly a mood in the country to ask for as much transparency as possible from politicians. There’s a new parliament now and it’s a good time to upgrade the system.”
The Labour move will bring their MEPs’ disclosures closer to the Conservatives, who have published a breakdown of individual MEPs’ expenses, but not receipts, since a scandal last year.
Tory MEP and chief whip Den Dover was sacked from the party after being ordered to pay back £500,000 in excessive expenses. The parliament has meanwhile agreed to change the rules on allowances for all MEPs from the start of the new session next month. MEPs will no longer be able to employ family members, will only be able to claim the exact cost of travel, and their staff will be employed directly by the parliament’s authorities.
Labour MEPs have had their accounts audited since 2000, but have not previously had to publish any expenses figures.
Both Tory and Labour MEPs voted in March to keep documents relating to their accounts – including expenses – confidential.
