Corporative corruption.

This comes from the Grauniad. Not my paper of choice but I dip in now and again when some big shark cruises close to my interest. I was looking for their - and their correspondents' - take on the murderer with the Grock The Clown hairdo and unspeakable name. I came across this - no point in linking as it comes from their signed-in subscriber area.

This is penned by a Tory MEP politician so just make sure you have a modicum of salt nearby. 

"In the current climate, MPs can do nothing right. So it is perhaps inevitable that there should be complaints about the fact that they are rising today for an eleven-week recess.
I wish critics would make their minds up. If MPs are as hopeless as their detractors keep claiming, surely it's in the national interest that they be kept away from Westminster.

I mean this quite seriously. I am hugely attracted to the idea that sessions should be kept short to discourage unnecessary legislation. It happens in Switzerland and in several US states. For a long time, Texas operated an ingenious system where its state congressmen could sit for longer if they chose, but could not claim their modest attendance allowances after 60 days. The European Parliament has also risen. But, unlike virtually every national assembly, it'll be back before August is out. Why? For the allowances of course!"

Going deeper, I found this by the same columnist. Dog does eat dog it seems. Maybe if there is a journalistic bone they are after?

"Especially popular at this time of year are the Euro-MPs who represent the Riviera, Tuscany or the Spanish littoral. You see, if you can get another MEP to invite you somewhere on "official" parliamentary business, you can bill the European Parliament (at least up to a limit of €3,600 a year). So widespread is this practice that simply mentioning that you're going somewhere is taken as a coded pitch for an invitation. 

I happened to tell a French colleague that I was going to be in his home region in August. "Splendid," he said, "just let me know the dates and I'll sort you out with a letter." No, no, I said: I mean, I'm going there on holiday. "Oui, tout à fait. I'll get one of my mayors to invite you."

Business will resume with debates on the wickedness of commerce.