MEPs are offered deal to clean up 'lax' expenses

Members of the European Parliament will today have the chance to end their "gravy train" image by agreeing a long-debated package which would clamp down on abuses of their lax expenses regime.

The proposals, backed by the president of the Parliament, Pat Cox, have split MEPs who have been unable to reach a deal in more than three years of negotiations.

At present Euro-MPs from the 15 EU countries are paid the same salary as national MPs, creating big disparities in earnings. Many MEPs compensate by abusing the system of travel expenses which allows them to claim for full price airfares without providing proof of what they paid.

Under the deal proposed by Mr Cox, MEPs would earn around €8,500 a month, or £62,000 a year, but in exchange they would have to promise to clean up their expenses. A rival scheme put forward by a senior German MEP, Willi Rothley, which contains no pledge to reform expenses, is unlikely to get the backing of EU leaders.

Gary Titley, Labour leader in the Parliament, said: "If we can get support for Pat Cox's position things will move quickly – if not the thing is dead."