Former MEP and TUV Leader Jim Allister has said figures published in documents accompanying Wednesday's UK budget show that the UK's net contribution to the EU is set to increase this year to a staggering £6.4 billion, significantly above last year's estimates. The 2009 budget estimated that the UK's contribution for this year would be £5.6 billion. However, this figure has now increased to £6.4 billion and will rise to an estimated £7.6 billion in 2010/11. The £6.4 billion cost this year is more than twice the £3.1 billion the UK contributed last year.

The increase is substantially due to a reduction in Britain's annual rebate, as foolishly agreed by Tony Blair back in 2005.
Commenting Jim Allister said,

“It’s both appalling and unacceptable that when virtually every single government in Europe is forced to cut its public expenditure the EU sees fit to increase its own, funded by ever increasing bills to the net contributing countries.

“There are so many better ways to spend £7.6 billion a year during the worst recession for a generation than pouring it into a black hole in Brussels. This is an issue which the next Parliament must address. We can’t go on bankrolling a profligate EU.”