LEFT-WING Eurosceptics pilloried Scotland’s MEPs yesterday over reports an SNP favourite signed off tens of thousands of pounds a year in payroll expenses to his own wife.

The party’s president and sitting MEP Ian Hudghton came under fire from rival candidates in this month’s European parliament election after it was revealed the Hudghton household could have earned up to £600,000 in additional taxpayers’ cash through his wife’s employment as his office manager.

The former Angus council leader is top of the SNP’s list, having represented Scotland in Brussels since 1998.

It is understood Mr Hudghton has employed his wife Lily to carry out office administration for 15 years. Such roles command up to £40,000 a year, meaning the Hudghtons could have received up to £600,000 in her name over the course of his tenure.

Yet MEPs were told as far back as 2009 to cease the practice, with new rules explicitly outlawing the arrangement come the European parliament’s next session.

Mr Hudghton, who is personally paid £66,000 a year as an MEP, said yesterday that his staff were paid “at a level appropriate to their hours, qualifications and experience.”

“If I am elected to the new session of the European parliament, none of my staff will be a member of my family,” he said.

Rival Ukip candidate David Coburn — whose leader Nigel Farage also employs his own wife Kirsten Mehr with public funds and famously described the allowances as “games you could play” — was surprisingly reticent.

“I know some decent MPs and MEPs who have employed their wives because they are doing a heck of a lot of work,” he said.

But No2EU candidate John Foster was scathing: “This ruling will clearly be a blow to Mr Hudghton’s family who now will have to struggle by on a weekly budget of just £1,400 a week as against £2,200.

“But the real problem with the EU parliament is that it has no legislative powers of its own and simply acts as a rubber stamp for the austerity programmes handed down by the EU Council and Commission,” he said.