Britain paid just £150m a week to Europe – lower than the £350m cited by pro-Brexit campaigners in 2016 Analysis by the Office of National Statistics shed light on Britain’s contribution to the EU budget

Britain’s contribution to the EU budget was £150m a week, significantly lower than the £350m cited by pro-Brexit campaigners in the 2016 referendum campaign, according to the Office of National Statistics.

Figures published yesterday showed that the UK’s net outgoings to Brussels were as low as £7.8bn a year on average over the past five years, once the rebate and other payments were taken into account.

Previous estimates by statisticians suggested the figure was closer to £9.8bn a year between 2014 and 2018.

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Vote Leave, the official pro-Brexit campaign group, claimed the UK’s contribution to the EU was “around £20bn”. The group covered a bus with a slogan stating the country sends £350m a week to Brussels, and called for the money to go to the NHS instead.

The ONS analysis shows that once the rebate and payments via the EU’s agriculture and regional development funds are taken into account, the total is closer to £11bn a year. But the body says the European Commission also accounts for payments to the private and public sector via certain credits. With this in mind, the net figure drops down to £7.8bn a year.

The UK has voted to leave the EU by 52 per cent to 48 per cent. Leave won the majority of votes in England and Wales, while every council in Scotland saw Remain majorities. The referendum turnout was high at 72%, with more than 30 million people voting, 17.4 million of whom voted for Brexit.

Johnson could be ‘dismissed’ by Queen

The release of figures has come as the PM has been facing a range of problem, including allegations that he groped a female journalist when he was editor of The Spectator, with anger threatening to overshadow the Conservative party conference in Manchester, which began on Sunday and runs until Wednesday.

A source has also claimed to i that the Queen asked her aides, for the first time in her reign, for clarification on just when and how she could dismiss a prime minister who refuses to step aside.

Boris Johnson has said he would “rather be dead in a ditch” than agree to extend Brexit beyond 31 October. But the PM declined to say if he would resign if a postponement – which he has repeatedly ruled out – had to happen.

Meanwhile, opposition parties have vowed to discuss plans for a government of national unity to oust Boris Johnson if he refuses to delay Brexit, says Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson.