Expenses
Liberal Democrat MEPs are committed to the highest standards of public service and transparency with regard to the use of public funds.
Each MEP undertakes to ensure strict observance of the Members’ Statute, the Assistants’ Statute and to the Implementing Measures for the Statute of Members of the European Parliament (IMS).
In addition, all MEPs adhere to the Liberal Democrat Code of Conduct (see below) as a common measure of transparency in order to ensure their accountability to the electors, the European Parliament and the UK Liberal Democrats.
Once a year, Liberal Democrat MEPs publish an independently verified annual financial statement detailing the amount of allowances and expenditure received. The financial statements from 2010 onwards can be found below. For previous years, please visit each MEP’s individual website.
Only Liberal Democrat MEPs make receipts for items spent under the General Expenditure Allowance (GEA) in excess of £25 available either on their websites or on request in their constituency offices.
Lobbying
In the age of ‘wikileaks’, transparency is a key ingredient for restoring trust in politicians. The institutions of the European Union – the Commission, Council and Parliament – can sometimes feel a bit distant and questions are raised about their accountability. Who is lobbying whom in the European institutions? How are EU funds distributed and with what purpose? How much influence do lobbyists have?
Whilst lobbyists play an important part in helping politicians find a balanced approach towards the issues they are supposed to be legislating upon, it is important that discussions are made transparent. Former Lib Dem MEP Diana Wallis MEP was instrumental in establishing the EU’s new Transparency Register, where interest representatives wishing to lobby MEPs or Commission officials have to sign up and disclose financial elements. With the new Transparency Register, which came into force on the 23rd of June 2011, the European Parliament is streets ahead of most national parliaments in terms of controlling lobbyism.
Lib Dem MEPs disclose meetings with lobbyists and pressure groups upon request on a case-by-case basis.
LDEPP Code of Conduct Feb 2011
Individual Transparency Forms for 2010
Bill Newton Dunn transparency 2010
Edward McMillan-Scott transparency 2010
Diana Wallis transparency 2010
Chris Davies transparency 2010
Catherine Bearder transparency 2010
Sharon Bowles transparency 2010
Sarah Ludford transparency 2010
Graham Watson transparency 2010
Individual Transparency Forms for 2011
Andrew Duff Expenses statement 2011
Bill Newton Dunn transparency 2011
EDWARD MCMILLAN-SCOTT transparency 2011
Chris Davies transparency 2011
Catherine Bearder transparency 2011
Sharon Bowles Expenses Template 2011
Sarah Ludford transparency 2011