MEPs 'Cheating To Get £175 Payout'
by Kate Connolly in Berlin

Hundreds of members of the European Parliament earn thousands of pounds a year extra in allowances for parliamentary sessions that they do not attend, an MEP claims.

Hans-Peter Martin, an Austrian Social Democrat, says he has collected detailed records over the past two years that show how many colleagues habitually enter their names in the parliamentary register but skip the meetings.

For signing the register - on the understanding that they also attend the sessions - the MEPs are legally entitled to a daily allowance of £175.

Many MEPs, Mr Martin alleges, sign the register, which is accessible between 7am and 10pm, before flying home. Others send "front men."

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The Real Face of the European Union by Phillip Day, video documentary (PAL format only)
Ten Minutes to Midnight by Phillip Day
Vigilance by Ashley Mote

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