Nigel Farage has reacted angrily to reports that the European Parliament's rule-making body is set to rubber stamp plans to 'insource' its chauffeuring services at an extra cost of €3m a year on top of its current €7m budget.
The decision by parliament's 'Bureau' to bring the assembly's driver services under internal control was, according to documents obtained by Brussels-based newswire Politico, made "to meet security needs".
Commenting from Strasbourg where MEPs are sitting in plenary, Farage said, "There is a huge fleet of limos and Mercedes costing 5 million euro, with a crew of professional drivers, downstairs in the European Parliament. This service is laid on for all 751 MEPs."
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"There is a chauffeur-driven car at an MEP's disposal all the time you are in Strasbourg or Brussels. If ordinary taxpayers knew how their money was being blasted around in Brussels they would come and burn this place down to the ground in disgust."
The Ukip leader added, "The EU is a racket to take money from those who don't work for the EU and transfer it to people who do work for the EU."
Usually meeting every fortnight, Parliament's Bureau is responsible for agreeing the institution's draft budget and deciding on all administrative issues including staffing. It has 20 members: the Parliament's president, the assembly's 14 vice presidents and its five Questors.