Rising cost of EU membership

New research showing that every household in Britain pays almost £6,000 a year for our membership of the European Union has been highlighted by local MEP Paul Nuttall.

The report by Professor Tim Congdon reveals that the UK is at least £150 billion a year worse off as a result of being shackled to Brussels.

"His figures show that the situation is even worse than we thought," said Mr Nuttall, UKIP Deputy Leader.

His calculations take account not just of direct payments to the EU but of indirect costs including red tape and diktats that impose extra burdens on business.

There is also waste, fraud and corruption in EU spending and “misallocation of resources” through market-distorting policies.

Professor Congdon also says he believes that 100,000 jobs have been lost to UK-born people through the arrival of 700,000 eastern Europeans since 2004 under Labour’s open-door policy when their countries joined the EU, as well as “benefits tourism” when foreigners claim UK welfare.

"This study by leading academic Professor Congdon, who is founder of the International Monetary Research consultancy, has established that, from an economic standpoint, the case for withdrawal is overwhelming," said Mr Nuttall.

"His figures reveal that the cost per household in this country is £5,700 a year which is absolutely staggering," he added.

"The sooner we leave the EU the better and we can keep our hard earned cash for ourselves and not throw it away into the bottomless pit in Brussels.

“Outside the EU, we can put in place the free trade agreement with our European partners which is all most people wanted when we joined the then Common Market in 1973," said Mr Nuttall.