NEWS OF THE WORLD INVESTIGATION

Living it up at our expense

By Jamie Lyons and Guy Basnett

OFFICIAL documents obtained by the News of the World reveal British Euro MPs are milking taxpayers' cash to bankroll wives and family as highly-paid "assistants".

READ: Shock revelations in the EU

Tory David Sumberg—dubbed Britain's laziest MEP for making just two speeches in the chamber since 2004—admits paying wife Carolyn almost as much as he earns himself!

David Sumberg

He gives her up to £60,000 a year for her services as a "secretary/assistant".

But our records show in 2002 there were payments of £7,922.22 a month in her name. That's £95,066.64 a year.

His own website boasts she is also a mature student and has another income as a freelance translator.

Baffled

At home the Conservatives are still smarting over having to boot out Westminster MP Derek Conway from the party for paying his son £40,000 from the public purse for doing little or nothing.

And leader David Cameron will now be under pressure over Sumberg who, despite representing the North West constituency, lives 200 miles away in a £2million house in a posh London square.

Our undercover reporter found even Sumberg's fellow Tories in Brussels were baffled how his wife's pay could be justified.

Sumberg's wife Carolyn

MEP Charles Tannock tore into his long-serving colleague and accused him of bleeding the system. He fumed: "David didn't have any shame about it either."

Another senior Tory, South West MEP Giles Chichester, has now admitted paying his wife Virginia up to £30,000 as a PART-TIME assistant.

He is also paying up to £30,000 of taxpayers' cash to his family firm Francis Chichester Ltd which publishes maps and guide books.

He claims that the company provides him with secretarial help.

David Sumberg refused to discuss our figures but said his wife was no longer a student or freelance translator and now worked full-time for him.