Eurosceptics frequently complain that our newspapers' European correspondents are supposedly in bed with the European Union and therefore are not critical enough (!) of its activities. They sometimes even insinuate that such journalists are in the pay of the EU.

It was therefore all the more interesting to read in EU Reporter (pdf link) that UKIP's own political group in the European Parliament has been quietly subsidising the EUobserver website. This press website claims to be independent, but it now appears that it's in the pay of the highly Eurosceptic political group - which possibly explains why it also displays a prominent link to EUabc.com, another supposedly independent site that seems mostly to display the work of Danish MEP Jens Peter Bonde - the co-leader (with Nigel Farage) of UKIP’s political group, the Independence and Democracy Group. It also turns out that the owner and publisher of EUobserver is Lisbeth Kirk, who just happens to be married to Jens Peter Bonde!

According to EU Reporter, taxpayers’ money is being used by Eurosceptics to retain experienced journalists to write for EUobserver - which can "also rely on the salaried EU Parliament staffers to help produce a product that generates income in the private sector from advertising and sponsorship".

So it would seem the Eurosceptics are doing precisely what they complain that other parties do! Yet another example of UKIP's hypocrisy?