Fraud at the EU trough

[Gromit]

EU chiefs have uncovered a fraud involving �500,000 our tax payers money being to paid to the family of an MEP. A European Parliament investigation had found major discrepancies in his use of allowances

The case has now been referred to the European anti-fraud unit OLAF.

The unaccountable expenditure was channelled to a company run by his wife and daughter. Their company subsequently made donations to the local Conservative party. The Conservative MEP responsible, Den Dover has been sacked as the Chief Whip of the Tory MEPs in the European Parliament and has now been expelled from the Conservative party.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-108519 9/Cameron-kicks-senior-Tory-MEP-facing-fraud-p robe-half-million-pound-expenses-scandal.html

A small success in tackling EU fraud. Very embarrassing for the Tories who have campaigned a lot about EU fraud, to have their main man in Brussels caught syphoning off half a million quid.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/global/main.jhtml?x ml=/global/2002/05/31/nfraud31.xml

Coming after the Tories tried to get a donation from a dodgy Russian, is it time that Party funding was paid by the state?

[rov1200]

Didn't McCain lose the election because he agreed on state funding limits. Obama never had these problems.

[jake-the-peg]

No McCain lost the election because after Bush the US didn't want another Republican

[R1Geezer]

Yep Good result, you sure it wasn't Ben Dover?

Always good to nail these J Arthurs but I feel we are pi55ing in the wind generally. EU corruption is endemic. Some of it is even allowed in the rules. Eg take Ryan air and charge for First Class on BA etc. The rules are set up so that nepotism and general snout in trough behaiviour is inherent in the structure. I gather it is virtually impossible for an MEP to find something that isn't covered by exes. Old Kinochio and Mrs had a good old slurp out of he gravy train, good old socialist, I'm sure they where divinding their wealth up among the poor of Taffy Land. Sorry Geezer rambling.......

[youngmafbog]

Its is true Gromit and Cameron has dumped him.

Now will Brown and Cameron root out the rest ?

This unfortunalty is not a party thing, they all have snouts in the trough. Just watch how little this will be mentioned in the house - it always is whatever side is caught out.

Only one way out of this, leave Europe save ourseolves billions and dump the awful and useless HRA that was only bough int to appease our Bruxelles masters.

[R1Geezer]

Sorry to answer the question.

I don't see how a bent MP fiddling is related to party funding but anyway, no I don't think parties should be state funded. The current rules are adequate, things do get found out, cash for Honours, cash for cigarette adverstising all got discovered.

[jno]

it's the things that don't get uncovered, geezer.

Are you saying the Kinnocks defrauded us or anyone? Do you have a link? I don't remember this.

[jake-the-peg]

Trouble with state funding is you end up with rather complex formulas for who gets how much.

When you base it on votes you end up with a situation where the big parties get most money and that helps them stage the biggest campaigns and it all goes around.

In principal it would be a very good idea but working out the detail would be a nightmare.

Anybody know how it works in the US?

[R1Geezer]

not at all jno. I'm sure they did it all within the "rules". I do remember old Kinochio nailing some poor sod to the wall for uncovering corruption though when he was assistant commissioner, paradoxically charged with rooting out corruption! So I think he may have been trying to protect the the general life style of your EU MEP/Commissioner/civil servant type.