Commenting on the jailing today of former MEP Peter Skinner, Jonathan Isaby, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said:
“Taxpayers will be pleased to see justice done as someone who stole vast amounts of their money is sent to jail. Skinner’s case highlights the shameful lack of accountability and transparency in the European Parliament’s expenses system which is clearly open to abuse: the fact that he was able to defraud the system over a period of years shows the inadequacy of current safeguards to protect taxpayers' money from corrupt individuals.
“In the same way that the 2009 MPs’ expenses scandal prompted change at Westminster, this case ought to be a wake-up call for the authorities in Brussels to make their expenses system more open and accountable to those of us footing the bills. Taxpayers will also want to know how much of their money they are going to recover from this disgraced former MEP."
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