Cameron takes a rigorous stance to dispel sleaze claims

Published on Wednesday 9 July 2008 21:46

DAVID Cameron yesterday announced a "deep clean" of Tory MEPs' expenses, after his party was hit by a series of sleaze scandals.

The Tory leader said serving MEPs who refused to sign up to a new internal code of conduct – requiring them to publish all claims – would not be allowed to stand in next June's European Parliament elections.

Mr Cameron said: "I believe these changes will help to ensure that the delegation of British Conservative MEPs are committed, and seen to be committed, to high standards of propriety in public life."

Last month the party's leader in Brussels, Giles Chichester, stood down rather than explain why he had paid a firm linked to his family 445,000 from his expenses – calling it a "whoops-a-daisy" moment.

This was followed by controversy around another Tory MEP, Den Dover, who paid 758,000 to a company employing his family.

Mr Dover and Mr Chichester are being investigated by the European Parliament.

Mr Cameron said he was not trying to "start a witch-hunt or burn people at the stake". However, a Conservative MEP criticised his attempt to reform expenses as "half-baked".

It was reported that an unsigned memo says the change is a "direct breach of the rules of the European Parliament" and likely to bring a PR "defeat".

The author of the memo is unknown, but the Conservatives confirmed that it was one of their MEPs.