Sharon Bowles MEP slams UKIP and BNP for voting against caps on bankers´ bonuses

9.10.00am BST (GMT +0100) Sat 17th Jul 2010

Sharon Bowles MEP

South East Lib Dem MEP Sharon Bowles has slammed both UKIP and the BNP for voting against the tough new laws to introduce caps on top bankers´ cash bonuses, which was overwhelmingly voted through the European Parliament by 625 in favour to 28 against, with 37 abstentions. In effect, UKIP and BNP MEPs voted against the legislation in order to keep the status quo, which has seen huge bonus packages continue to be handed out despite unprecedented government intervention.

Sharon Bowles said: "We voted to ensure that there will be no more cases like Fred Goodwin's, a cap on cash bonuses and measures to make sure top bankers take the hit rather than taxpayers. So I´m gob-smacked that neither UKIP nor the BNP see fit to support these measures. I wonder what their constituents would have to say on the matter!"

"You can only assume that while thousands of workers have lost their jobs, they are only too happy for casino bankers to continue to skulk off to sunnier climes with the public's money in their back pocket."

The UKIP MEPs who voted against were: John Agnew, Gerard Batten, Godfrey Bloom, John Bufton, David Campbell Bannerman, Derek Clark, William (The Earl of) Dartmouth, Nigel Farage, Paul Nuttall

The BNP MEPs who voted against were: Nick Griffin, Andrew Brons