According to Treasury accounts published this week, Britain sent a total of £15.5billion to Brussels in the 12 months leading up to March 31, a 20 percent increase on the £12.9 billion the previous year. Brexiteer Iain Duncan Smith, who is leading Boris Johnson’s campaign for Number 10, slammed the figures and took a swipe at Chancellor Philip Hammond for whipping up a “final vote fear tirade”. Mr Hammond this week said he would not rule out backing a no-confidence vote in the government to stop the UK crashing out of the bloc without a deal. 

The amount each member state contributes to the EU is calculated by its Gross National Income and the increase is due to the British economy’s growth. 

Mr Duncan Smith told The Telegraph: “These figures are eye-popping. 

“It’s ironic that as Philip Hammond launches his final vote fear tirade whilst voting against his Government – without having the decency or principle to resign – the Treasury shows that an increasing amount of British taxpayers’ money continues to pour into bottomless EU coffers.” 

Mr Hammond was criticised by chairman of the European Research Group (ERG) Jacob Rees-Mogg this week for holding a “silly” view of how a no-deal Brexit could impact the UK. 

Mr Rees-Mogg argued a hard Brexit could add up to £80 billion to the economy, while Mr Hammond said it would shave off £90billion. 

Richard Wellings, deputy research director and head of transport at the London-based Institute of Economic Affairs, said the UK ridding itself of EU membership would be of benefit to businesses. 

He tweeted: “A clean Brexit would make the UK better off by liberating businesses from costly EU red tape, reducing trade barriers with the rest of the world, and ending the huge payments to the EU budget.” 

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