MEPs' salary hike warning

Struan Stevenson said constituents would be angry over a 30% rise

A Scottish Tory MEP has said plans to equalise MEPs' salaries across Europe and award a 30% pay increase are wrong.

The Council of Ministers will debate the move on Monday, which also aims to regulate expenses claims.

It is being viewed as an attempt to change the 'gravy train' image of European politicians.

Conservative MEP Struan Stevenson said the potential pay rise was too much, but Labour MEP Catherine Stihler said the package should be approved.

Mr Stevenson said that while he agreed there was a need for radical reform of MEPs' expenses system, the pay rise was a step too far.

He said: "Some of our German colleagues travel absolutely free on travel passes provided by their government.

'Damned if we do'

"But then they charge for travel expenses. That sort of anomaly needs to be cleared up.

"We should pay the same tax as our constituents.

"On the question of pay, we don't see that we can justify a 30% pay hike and we want to be paid the same as MPs."

Mr Stevenson said it "would be very difficult" to stand before constituents to say that while MPs were paid £58,000 a year, MEPs deserved £74,000.

However, Ms Stihler said the pay hike should be viewed as part of a package of reform.

Catherine Stihler said there was a need for transparency

"Sadly we're damned if we do and damned if we don't," she said.

The MEP said she could understand constituents' anger over the expenses issue.

"But this is part of a package, it's part of looking at travel, pensions and pay.

"At the moment, a Portuguese MEP gets half of what a British MEP earns and an Italian and a German MEP gets roughly double what a British one does.

"It's going to be a challenge for MEPs as we move towards the elections on 10 June to make sure we have transparency within that regime."

She said that if a poll was held, the majority questioned would say politicians should not be paid a penny.