Money-grabbing MEPs didn’t exactly cover themselves in glory yesterday, to put it lightly. One group are particularly pleased with their decision to vote down Dave’s budget deal. The European Parliament civil service have sent a fawning email to their secretive socialist President Martin Schulz, thanking him for protecting their wages and allowances:

MERCI M. le PRESIDENT SCHULZ

Yesterday the European Parliament rejected by an overwhelming majority the proposed long-term EU budget agreed by the 27 EU leaders last month.

You had already spoken out very clearly against this highly austere budget on 7 February.

So the Parliament has unequivocally stated that austerity budgets are not the way to get Europe out of the crisis. Austerity extinguishes any hopes of boosting investment and growth in the EU.

The EU civil service, paid out of heading V of the EU budget, was also a potential victim of the budget deal Parliament has just thrown out.

The staff committee renews its call to defend a high-quality, independent and permanent EU civil service which – don’t forget – is still paying the heavy price of the disastrous 2004 staff regulations reform.

Shocker…