The EU costs you just 18p per day, official figures reveal

12.32.37pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 28th May 2009

Our membership of the EU costs you a lot less than this... just 18p per day

The European Union does a lot of good. Its budget pays for supporting rural communities, protecting our environment, encouraging research and development, and building infrastructure in poor regions and in countries that until recently were communist dictatorships.

To support that work, the UK does make a net contribution to the EU, but the cost per person in the UK is just £67 a year, £1.29 per week, or 18p per day.

Commenting, Mark Blackburn, the Liberal Democrats' parliamentary candidate in Westminster North, said:

"Liberal Democrats believe that it is right that Britain pays its fair share to invest in the EU single market and in other programmes that benefit Britain and Europe . We believe that reforms to the EU budget and growing prosperity in poorer countries and regions will over time lessen the UK 's budget contributions.

"Britain pays similar amounts into the budget as do other countries of Britain 's size and wealth. It is only right that Britain makes a budget contribution, as we take all the benefits of EU membership, such as the three million British jobs linked to trade with other EU countries."

The UK's contribution to the EU is £4.1bn this year, which is just 0.6 per cent of total government spending.