Why should MEPs be different?

Well done to Felicity Norman, Green Party MEP Candidate, for a good letter in the Birmingham Post today:

Dear Editor, The U-turn by the Conservatives and Gordon Brown to agree to the release of details of MPs' expenses shows what public pressure can achieve.

It seemed MPs were about to exempt themselves from the Freedom of Information Act, which would have been outrageous.

We have seen one or two MPs purchasing plasma TVs and luxurious goods for their second homes in London at the taxpayers' expense. While this is the minority, we must have transparency to protect the taxpayer.

Now, we need the same rule for MEPs whose expenses are also open to abuse despite a tightening of the rules in Brussels.

The Green Party is the only party to score 100 per cent for transparency of their MEPs' expenses according to Open Europe, an Independent think tank calling for radical reform of the EU.

Of the 7 MEPs in the West Midlands region, not a single MEP fully satisfied the think tank's survey.