London (AFP) - A demand for Britain to pay an extra 2.1 billion euros ($2.6 billion) to the European Union shows the EU is a "thirsty vampire", eurosceptic leader Nigel Farage said on Friday, as MPs voiced anger over the move.

Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party, said Prime Minister David Cameron was powerless to prevent the payout being levied on Britain because its economy is growing faster than other European nations.

"David Cameron once claimed that he had reduced the EU budget -- but the UK contribution went up and now quite incredibly, our contribution goes up a second time. It's just outrageous," Farage said.

"The EU is like a thirsty vampire feasting on UK taxpayers' blood. We need to protect the innocent victims who are us."

Farage also told Sky News that there was "nothing he (Cameron) can do" to stop the payout.

The EU's move is an embarrassment for Cameron as he faces increasing pressure from Conservative MPs to recast Britain's relationship with Europe ahead of next year's general election.

Cameron has promised a referendum on whether Britain should leave Europe in 2017 if he wins May's election and vowed to renegotiate the relationship over issues including limiting migration.

But that has not stopped growing support for Farage's UKIP, which wants Britain to leave the EU outright.

UKIP's first MP, a former Conservative, was elected to the House of Commons last month and a second Conservative defector is hoping to score another victory for UKIP in a by-election in Rochester next month.

This new row is set in a context of another sensitive issue of Britain and the EU budget.

Britain has received an annual budget rebate currently worth some Â£3 billion a year since late Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher secured it in 1984 by arguing that the country was paying too much because its economy was behind others in Europe.

This rankles badly with some other EU countries which say the rebate should be renegotiated downwards because Britain's relative situation has improved.

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Official figures out Friday showed Britain's economy continuing to grow. Gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 0.7 percent between July and September compared to 0.9 percent growth in the second quarter.

With the story dominating the front pages of British newspapers Friday, eurosceptic Conservatives urged him to take a hard line with the EU.

Former Cabinet minister John Redwood told BBC radio that Cameron should refuse to pay and change the law if threatened with legal action.

"This is a very large increase in tax on the British people, imposed retrospectively without their permission," he said.

Another, Mark Pritchard, described the timing of the news ahead of the crucial Rochester by-election on November 20 as "inept".

"Unless this behaviour changes, the EU referendum could be brought forward. Europe should not penalise the UK's economic success whilst rewarding France's economic failure," he said.

Under the new calculations, struggling France is set to be given 1.0 billion euros.

The main opposition Labour party also condemned the move. Its Europe spokesman, Pat McFadden, said: "It's unacceptable that the outgoing EU Commission should spring a backdated bill on member states in this way."

Britain's press was also unimpressed with news of the demand for extra money.

The headline on the Daily Telegraph's front page was "EU makes Britain pay for recovery", while the Mail Online led with: "Brussels is back for MORE of your cash".



