Van Buitenen goes from whistleblower to MEP

More a book than a policy platform, van Buitenen laid into his former boss Neil Kinnock, who he has accused of erecting 'hoax' accounting reforms to the much-criticised EU.

His stance was popular with his fellow Dutch electors last week, who gave his independent slate Europa Transparant 7%of their national vote, enough to send him and a colleague - writer and publicist Els de Groen - to Strasbourg.

Savouring his victory, van Buitenen declared: 'I know all the questions that have to be asked and I'm going to get some answers,' referring to the fact that he will command a healthy research budget and staff of his own in future.

Van Buitenen is currently on unpaid leave from the Commission and has been told by his managers that his revelatory manifesto breached rules on publications for officials.

The new MEP has told Accountancy Age that he will not resign his post, forcing the Commission to take embarrassing disciplinary action against a parliamentarian if it wants to sack him.