As members of the main European parliamentary transparency and regulation group, we mortified to hear that close to one hundred MEP's are directly involved in European Parliamentary corruption.
Many ordinary people are completely unaware of the negative effects, on their personal lives and incomes, of parliamentary corruption. We have, this week seen a former UK government minister confess to stealing £30,000 from the public purse. He will definitely be doing some prison time as a consequence.
Some weeks ago, we were shocked to discover that a British Conservative MEP has been asked to pay back close to £500,000 of falsely claimed money, he fraudulently 'claimed' of right for his private "consultancy-lobby" firm.
Instead of this man being covered in shame, he protested his false innocence. The final figure that he must now pay back is now £400,000. This man employed his wife, daughter and son-in-law in his private 'lobby advice' company. This is appalling and completely unacceptable.
Presently, Britain's parliamentary expenses regulator, is being intimidated by British MP's for being "too strict". They have caused so much problems for this regulator, that he was forced to open a public consultation, before the British MP's clubbed together in a bid to get the expenses organisation closed.
One new MP, historian Tristan Hunt, was said to have claimed as little as 2p, 8p and 12p for telephone calls. Others have claimed for travel expenses for journey's of less than 2 metres in a mini-cab.
The public are becoming more and more annoyed that these parliamentarians are not interested in representing their constituents, but are eager to represent lobbyists who are will to pay them a large fee, and give them a seat of their company boards (for an additional large fee).
In this age of austerity, and economic pain, the public are no longer prepared to 'let it go' or 'forget about it'.
Now British politicians are being sent to prison for years for abusing their public offices, theft, fraud, and general corruption. It would appear that the European Parliament are moving in the same direction.
Several European parliamentarians are now being investigated for fraud, as well as inquiries being made as to whether their parliamentary privileges can be lifted.
See article below for further information on the subject:
http://www.alter-eu.org/documents/2011/04/08/newsletter-3
This corrupt then distracts from the real issue at hand for us, which is damages and compensation for the "West-Indian" descendants of the despicable Slave trade and its legacy. Instead of the road being clear for negotiations to sincerely begin, (including state-building in either Africa or the Caribbean), we are confronted by illegal lobbying practiced by corrupted lobbyists, who are motivated by the profit motive.
In the light of recent events in the middle-east, where the people are fighting for their freedom, it becomes incomprehensible, that none of the European parliamentarians, are not focusing their energies towards the formation of a new state for the descendants of those of us where were stolen, kidnapped, tortured and disappeared from the African mainland.
There is an increasing need for those of us who wish, to return to Africa, or the Caribbean as "Stake-holders" and "State-builders". That can only happen when we begin to discuss the inevitability of the creation of new "diaspora-friendly" states.
This is a no compromise position. With the Africans rejecting us as "foreigners" and "slave-babies", the creation of a new country is the only option. Therefore, both the British and European parliaments will have no choice but to begin talks on the matter.
Therefore, it is only when this political corruption is removed, that the road will be cleared for such talks, Otherwise, we will all be blowing in the wind.
