I see that the "UKIPwatch" website claims that UKIP's parliamentary group are being investigated for allegedly mis-using taxpayers' money. UKIPwatch reports that the co-leaders of the IND/DEM Group, UKIP's Nigel Farage MEP and veteren Danish eurosceptic Jens-Peter Bonde MEP, are currently being investigated by the legal service of the Court of Auditors for diverting European Parliament money and staff resources, intended for their Group's parliamentary work, to a news agency that claims to be independent, namely "EUobserver.com - a website for the latest EU news". UKIPwatch reports that both Bonde and Farage are facing financial liabilities should this investigation reveal that cross subsidies have breached EU financial rules.

It also turns out that Lisbeth Kirk, the director of EUobserver.com is married to Jens Bonde MEP.

I have spoken to Jens-Peter Bonde and he tells me that there is no investigation and that all their co-operation with EUObserver has been duly authorized by the parliamentary authorities. I also know that claims of malpractice are easily made and frequently not true - indeed, some of the Members of the IND/DEM group specialise in making lurid allegations about the EU - so I'd better give Mr Bonde the benefit of the doubt.

I myself always found EU observer to be quite a useful source of information, but even if there is no financial impropriety, the revelation that they are closely linked to the most anti-EU political group does make one wonder about some of the slant they put on some stories.