Meanwhile, support for Ukip is at a record high

The European Commission's apparently surprise demand for Britain to cough up an extra £1.7billion has coincided with a record surge in support for Ukip.

Nigel Farage's party is hoping to win the police and crime commissioner election in Rotherham and secure its second elected MP in the Rochester and Strood by-election.

More: [This is how much Britain spends on the European Union]1