Methinks they have something to hide!

"Open Europe", who watch, analyse and report on what (undemocratic) EU gets up to, recently decided to write to ask the 79 British MEPs some questions about their expenses, specifically who handled their staff expenses and whether family members were employed beneficially.

You will recall that somehow details of "dodgy" expenses of some Conservative MEPs have been revealed. Open Europe wanted to find out whether it was possible that similar practices were being adopted by all MEPs.

So they wrote to all 79, of whom 25 replied, answering fully. A further 12 replied but gave only partial answers. No fewer than 41 refused to answer at all. Most Conservatives answered, and almost all UKIP members, while both "Greens" answered.

Of those refusing, the party affiliations were as follows:

Conservatives 11
Labour 13
Liberal Democrat 8
Non-attached and Nationalist Parties 6
UKIP 3

They may simply regard the enquiry is an irritating impertinence, that those who elect and pay for them should want to have some sort of account of what is happening. No actual figures were asked for, merely questions about employing staff, - hardly personal details!

The BBC has proudly trumpeted the Tory wrongs, but Michael Crick should now turn his investigatory powers on others as well, to give at least a semblance of balance at the BBC. I doubt it will happen!