Other than Stephen Fry few people have not been shocked by the expenses system that MPs have operated under and exploited over the years. There is one small consolation for the British electorate in this whole episode: that we live in a country where such outrageous abuse of taxpayers’ money is revealed to the public and therefore prevented, even if after some time. I would imagine that if politicians from many European countries came under a similar level of scrutiny our own MPs wouldn’t shape up too badly in comparison.
However, on closer reflection this consolation only takes us so far. Many people easily forget (or are entirely unaware) that there is another parliament that we vote for and pay for based in Brussels. There is absolutely no reason why the expenses of Members of the European Parliament should not come under the same level of scrutiny as British MPs. They spend more of their electorate’s money and make more of our laws than our national parliaments. The lack of scrutiny that MEPs face goes right to the heart of why the European project is flawed: noone is aware or interested in what those in Brussels get up to and they are therefore not accountable. There is no demos in Europe on which to base a democracy. There is not a sufficient body of people who identify with a central European parliament and take enough interest in it to ensure that such a parliament can be accountable and representative. The apathy that people show towards the EU is entirely understandable given how fundamentally undemocratic its institutions are and seek to remain. It would be both ethically and politically astute if David Cameron continued leading on the expenses issue all the way to Brussels.
Posted by jaiperoo 
