The staggering amount will push our EU contributions to above £13billion a year over the next six years – the equivalent to an extra £3,000 per household between now and 2020.
According to the European Court of Auditors, David Cameron will be legally obliged to make up a share of the EU’s £259billion shortfall by the end of the decade.
It means the Treasury will have to stump up around £33.7billion, calculated at the usual rate of Britain’s EU contributions.
The vast hole in EU spending represents a political disaster for the Prime Minister, who has vowed to bring down the amount Britain pays into Brussels’ coffers.
The findings triggered fresh fury last night, adding to demands for Britain to quit the EU.
Jonathan Arnott, Ukip’s EU budget spokesman, said: “We’ve known for a while that the European Union is struggling to stick to its spending limits but no one expected that the shortfall would be so high.
“How can a black hole as much as £259billion possibly have gone unnoticed by the political establishment?” Express.
