Up to 34 former British MEPs will pocket at least £45,000 after losing their seats after last night’s European election results were announced. The longest-serving MEPs could pocket as much as £182,400 after leaving the Brussels gravy train. Anti-Brexit Conservative MEP Charles Tannock, who backs a second referendum, departs the Parliament with an expected £149,383 payoff after losing his London seat.

Remainer officials in the Parliament described Mr Tannock’s defeat as a “real loss” to the anti-Brexit cause, after the Tory MEP “fought solidly” against Britain’s EU divorce for years. He joined the Parliament in 1999 but lost his seat after the Tories faced a drubbing in the capital. He wrote on Twitter: “Very sad after 20 years serving as London MEP tonight I lost my seat. “One long and deeply enjoyable chapter closes and I hope another will shortly open.

“I congratulate the newly-elected London MEPs who are now privileged to serve the greatest city in the world.”

The bill to pay off former British MEPs runs close to £2.3 million, funded from the EU’s multi-billion annual budget, which is funded by taxpayers from the bloc’s 28 member states.

Departing MEPs are afforded the so-called “transitional allowance” of £7,500 for each year they have worked at the Parliament.

The lavish payment is capped at a maximum of 24 months and a minimum of six months, an MEP must have served at least a full five-year term before being eligible for the golden goodbye.

The payment is meant to help MEPs readjust and afford them time to find a new job.

They are expected to relinquish the bridging cash once they are back into employment.

Former MEPs are also refused the payment if they are of the EU Parliament’s pensionable age – 63.

Mr Tannock, 61, is afforded the “transitional allowance” before being moved onto institution’s gold-plated pension scheme.

MEPs are entitled to receive a retirement income equal to 3.5 percent of their salary for each full year served in the Parliament up to a maximum of 70 percent once they reach 63.

Britain’s new troop of MEPs can each expect to receive more than £45,000 in taxpayer-funded salaries and expenses before the country’s scheduled EU departure at the end of October.

MEPs earn a generous £92,665 a year salary, as well as unquestioned monthly “general expenditure allowance” of around £4,000 paid into their private bank accounts.

They also receive a personal travel allowance of up to £3,927 a year plus £282 for each day attended at the Parliament’s buildings in Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg to cover accommodation costs.

The newly-elected MEPs will take their seat for the first time on July 2, before being handed a paid holiday from July 25 to September 2 for the Parliament’s summer recess.

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