LABOUR faced mounting pressure to offer a progressive alternative to “Thatcherite” Ukip yesterday and back an EU membership referendum amid uproar at an unexpected £1.7 billion bill from Brussels.

City wideboy Ukip leader Nigel Farage gloated yesterday as PM David Cameron faced backbench pressure to reject the EU commission invoice drawn up after a reassessment of Britain’s economic performance over the past four years — taking this year’s bill for membership of the bloc to £10 billion.

Other member states will get bumper payouts, including £614 million for Germany and £788.7m for France.