BEYOND THE EU SERIES: As the debate about the UK’s membership of the European Union heats up and ahead of the June referendum, we examine four non-EU economies to see if they could provide a model for Britain’s post-Brexit future.

Part Two: Switzerland

If you are already tiring of the media obsession with Brexit, spare a thought for the Swiss, who are being subjected to a similarly all-consuming onslaught over what is, in essence, much the same issue.

As part of The Telegraph’s series on the alternatives to membership of the European Union, I’ve come to the land of the plebiscite to find out more about how economies can thrive independently of the Brussels machine. The bald data make impressive reading; GDP per capita is amongst the highest in the world – nearly 50pc higher than that of the UK – and at just 4.7pc, unemployment is notably low by international standards.

The country consistently achieves either a surplus or a balanced budget, and the tax burden, at just 32pc of GDP, is one of the lowest in the developed world – although this excludes healthcare, which is paid for separately through compulsory social insurance. Switzerland also runs a massive 7pc current account surplus, even if, like Britain, it is substantially in deficit when it comes to the EU.