Letter: Europe's benefits

Sir: David Heathcoat-Amory, the Conservatives' Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury ("MEPs win bonuses in perks `cutback' ") highlights with his own words the splits in his party.

While he says that no one is going to take MEPs seriously until they sort out their rules, less than a month ago his MEPs voted in Strasbourg to delay exactly such a reform. A Liberal Democrat proposal to sort out MEPs rules and expenses once and for all was scuppered by Tories and Labour combined.

Despite their best efforts it is impossible to disguise that the Tories are two parties - the Conservatives of Westminster and the Conservatives of Europe.

ROBIN TEVERSON MEP

(Lib Dem, Cornwall and West Plymouth)

Callington,

Cornwall