There are just a few days to go until the European elections -- but who cares? Most of the polling cards coming through people's letter boxes will end up in the bin. More people will have voted in last night's Britain's Got Talent final than for any one of the political parties putting up candidates in Britain on Thursday.

Anyway, why should people vote? All we seem to have as candidates are the usual nonentities, many of whom are hoping to get rich by claiming a seat on the Brussels gravy train.

In Britain we have been scandalised by the avarice, dishonesty and greed of our MPs. But they are mere amateurs compared with those we have elected to the European parliament.

Every year MEPs get more than £400,000 in salary, pension benefits and expenses without having to do anything so boring as produce a single receipt. Moreover, MEPs have continually blocked attempts to publish how much they are claiming in expenses.