By Steve Bargeton, political editor

EURO MPS seeking re-election to the European Parliament in just two weeks were last night refusing to give details of their own expenses—despite the scandal rocking Westminster.

Labour and the SNP said they would publish details of their candidates’ expenses only if they are elected on June 4.

With all hopefuls promising to clean up MEPs’ expenses, The Courier yesterday tried to discover how much taxpayers’ cash was being claimed by three candidates hoping to be returned to Brussels for another five-year stint—Labour’s Catherine Stihler, the SNP’s Iain Hudghton and Tory Struan Stevenson.

However Mr Stevenson, who five years ago was caught signing in at the European Parliament and leaving straight away, was the only candidate prepared to expose details of his expenses to public scrutiny on line.

This week he pledged to update his expenses online on a quarterly basis.

His latest expenses show travel costs to Brussels and Strasbourg of 16,000 euros and his travel at home in Scotland was another £6486.

He claimed 16,000 euros for 56 days’ attendance at a rate of about £250 a day on top of a salary of £68,000 a year.

On several occasions Catherine Stihler has demanded greater transparency over MEPs’ expenses, has criticised the authorities for withholding details of a damaging audit into the misuse of expenses and has accused colleagues of setting up “up arms-length companies to pay expenses to bogus staff and others seemed to funnel money to their political parties while claiming to be paying assistants.”

In her April newsletter last year she complained, “We appeared shifty and on the side of those who abused the system because we decided against publishing the report.

“Sadly, when there is a whiff of abuse we are all tarred with the same brush.”

On her website under the heading “transparency” she says, “Over the past month or so a lot has been said about what MEPs get paid, whether we employ relatives and the roles of our staff.

“This section of my website sheds some light on how my office is run, and how my accounts are audited.”

She provides details of how many staff she employs, but no salaries, and insists none are members of her family. There are even details of her auditors.

But Ms Stihler has published no details of her claims or the amounts she has received in expenses.

Last night a Labour spokesman said party MEPs have voluntarily had their accounts audited since 2000 and pointed out that the Conservatives only took action last September following the resignation of their leader and whip due to an expenses inquiry.

“Labour MEPs do not need gimmicks like pledges in order to behave ethically,” he said.

“The Tories’ action shows that Cameron cannot trust his MEPs if he has to force them to be honest.”

The spokesman said that in June when the new European parliament sits after the election new rules and regulations will come into force in the new Parliament.

“All Labour MEPs elected in the new Parliament are committed to publishing every six months a breakdown of their expenditure received under their European Parliament office allowance, as well as publishing their auditors’ certificate on the EPLP’s (European Parliamentary Labour Party) and individual websites.

“Labour MEPs will also publish the amount received for costs reimbursed for travel, }and the number of days claimed and the amounts received in relation to their daily allowance.”

Former Angus council leader Mr Hudghton has been a member of the European Parliament since 1998.

But he too will only publish details of his expenses after the Euro election on June 4.

Mr Hudghton said, “I am committed as are all SNP candidates and MEPs to publishing allowance claims and expenditure, in the future and for the previous parliamentary term to the same principles and high standard as the Holyrood parliament as soon as is practicable with the most recent six months a priority and I hope all Scotland’s European candidates will agree to do the same.”

Meanwhile, Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie has defended his parliamentary expenses after it was revealed he claimed £2500 for furnishing his London flat.

Mr Hosie said he “didn’t go into politics to make profit on property” and defended his decision to purchase a one-bedroom flat in the capital rather than rent a house.

Mr Hosie said his mortgage interest payment claims in the period currently being scrutinised at Westminster was around £1000 a month—a figure that has decreased in recent months with the successive drops in interest rates.

The expenses claims also show Mr Hosie claimed back around £2512 for furnishing his flat, including £1300 for two sofas and cushions, £693 for a bed, mattress and drawers, £79 for bedding, £90 curtains and £350 for assorted other furnishings including crockery and cutlery.

Mr Hosie—who stressed the furnishing costs were one-off set-up payments when he established a home in London—said he wanted cross-party agreement on expense claims.

He said, “I have a very small one bedroom flat which I use when I am in London.

“I furnished it in a very basic manner.

“Two small sofas, a bed and basic linen, crockery and curtains are not excessive.

“I believe that all MPs’ claims must be subject to the independent audit within a period of weeks, and along with my SNP colleagues am entirely happy to abide by their conclusions.

“In relation to the mortgage interest payments, they rose when the initial fixed interest term ended and have since fallen dramatically as a result of the interest rate falling.

“When I bought the flat, I considered that the cost to the taxpayer would be lower than renting and offer the best value for money.”