A number of politicians, public figures, newspapers and magazines, businesses and other organisations endorsed either the United Kingdom remaining in the EU or the United Kingdom leaving the EU during the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum.
Parties organised in more than one of the Home Nations:
Parties in Scotland:
Parties in Northern Ireland:
Parties in Wales:
Parties in Gibraltar:
Other regional parties:
In a letter published in The Times, a wide range of business leaders, including 36 FTSE 100 companies, called for a vote to stay in the European Union. The letter stated that British "business needs unrestricted access to the European market of 500 million people to continue to grow, invest, and create jobs. We believe that leaving the EU would deter investment, threaten jobs, and put the economy at risk. Britain will be stronger, safer, and better off remaining a member of the EU". [52] [53]
Only politicians who held positions that differed from the party line or whose party was officially neutral are listed here.
Within the Conservative Party (which was officially neutral), 25 of the 30 Cabinet Ministers including the Prime Minister, specifically:
Others included former Prime Minister John Major, [69] former party leader William Hague, [70] former Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine, [71] David Willetts, [72] former Chancellor of the Exchequer Ken Clarke, [73] and former ministers Edwina Currie [74] and Baroness Warsi (who, it was alleged, supported Leave, despite the Vote Leave side not being aware of her support prior to the allegations). [75]
The majority of the Conservative Party's 330 MPs announced that they would campaign for Britain to remain in the European Union. Including Cabinet Ministers, the list included: [68] [76]
The list of Conservative Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) that announced that they would campaign for Britain to remain in the European Union is: [81]
Other Conservatives supporting a Remain vote were:
Scottish Conservative MSPs also included Miles Briggs, Peter Chapman, Jackson Carlaw, John Lamont, Alex Johnstone, Rachael Hamilton, Liz Smith, Donald Cameron, Adam Tomkins, Douglas Ross, Brian Whittle, Finlay Carson and Annie Wells. [89]
The Trades Union Congress (TUC), representing 52 British trade unions, endorsed Britain remaining in the EU. All but a few of its member unions were expected to urge voters to stay in the EU. [252]
In a letter to The Times, around 200 healthcare professionals defended the EU as an overall benefit to UK public health, the NHS and health research. Sections from the letter stated "As health professionals and researchers we write to highlight the valuable benefits of continued EU membership to the NHS, medical innovation and UK public health". "We have made enormous progress over decades in international health research, health services innovation and public health. Much has been built around shared policies and capacity across the EU". "EU trade deals will not privatise the NHS as the EU negotiating position now contains clear safeguards. Decisions on NHS privatisation are in UK government hands alone. EU immigration is a net benefit to our NHS in terms of finances, staffing and exchanges". "Finally, leaving the EU would not provide a financial windfall for the NHS". Signatories included: [344] [345]
Led by Professor Stephen Hawking, [346] more than 150 notable academics, all Fellows of the Royal Society, signed a letter to The Times newspaper setting out their position on the European Union that leaving the bloc would damage science and research. They included: [347]
Over 100 UK university leaders signed an open letter to The Sunday Times supporting UK membership of the EU. They stated that "Inside the EU, we are better able to collaborate with partners from across Europe to carry out cutting edge research, from medical and healthcare advances, to new materials, products and services. In the EU, the UK is also a more attractive destination for global talent, ensuring that our students are taught by the best minds from across Europe. This has a direct impact on our economy, driving growth, generating jobs and ultimately improving people's lives". Signatories included: [348]
Almost 300 of the world's biggest creative industries names signed a letter to support keeping Britain in the EU, including (but not limited to) the names listed below. A Creative Industries Federation survey also revealed that 96% of its members supported remaining in the EU. The letter stated that "Britain is not just stronger in Europe, it is more imaginative and more creative, and our global creative success would be severely weakened by walking away". Signatories included: [266]
In a letter to The Times, 279 economists stated that Brexit would "entail significant long-term costs". The signatories wrote, "focusing entirely on the economics, we consider that it would be a major mistake for the UK to leave the European Union." At the time of publication the letter had 199 signatories. A further 80 signed after publication. [350] [351] [352]
Around 300 lawyers signed a report on UK membership of the EU and the alternatives. They stated: "we recognised how much of the debate on the UK's membership of the EU is based on a lack of information, misconceptions, or, worse, misinformation [...] Ultimately, we believe a sensible judgment on EU membership can be made only on the basis of reliable evidence". The signatories "consider that the UK's interests are best served by remaining in the EU". [353]
In a letter to the Guardian, more than 300 prominent historians urged the United Kingdom to remain in the European Union. The letter said, "On 23 June, we face a choice: to cast ourselves adrift, condemning ourselves to irrelevance and Europe to division and weakness; or to reaffirm our commitment to the EU and stiffen the cohesion of our continent in a dangerous world." Notable signatories included: [354] [355]
On 4 June 2016, The Guardian newspaper published a number of 'letters to Britain' by European (non-British) writers and intellectuals giving their opinion on the referendum and Britain's place in Europe. All of the letters expressed support for remain. [366] The writers were:
On 10 June 2016, The Daily Telegraph published a letter signed by 13 winners of the Nobel Prize expressing the view that being part of the EU is good for British science and that is good for Britain. [367]
On 19 June 2016, The Guardian published a letter signed by 10 winners of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, expressing the view that the "economic argument" was clearly in favour of continued UK membership within the EU. [368]
Parties organised in more than one of the Home Nations:
Parties in England:
Parties in Scotland:
Parties in Northern Ireland:
Only politicians who hold positions that differ from the party line or whose party is officially neutral are listed here.
Within the Conservative Party (which was officially neutral): Five Cabinet members:
At the time the referendum was called, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions was Iain Duncan Smith, who also supports leave. He subsequently resigned following the 2016 United Kingdom budget. [428] Some suspected his resignation was due to his support for British withdrawal from the EU, [429] [430] but Duncan Smith has denied this, stating that such allegations were a "deliberate attempt to discredit" him. [431]
As well as these ministers, the former Mayor of London Boris Johnson; [432] [433] [434] the Conservative candidate for the 2016 mayoral election, Zac Goldsmith; [435] former leader Michael Howard, [436] former Defence Secretary Liam Fox [437] and the leader of the Welsh Conservative Party Andrew RT Davies [438] campaigned to leave. The party campaign to exit the EU is "Conservatives for Britain" which is headed by two former Chancellors of the Exchequer, Lord Lawson (Nigel Lawson) and Lord Lamont (Norman Lamont). [439]
Many other Conservative MPs announced that they would campaign for Britain to vote to Leave: [76] [ failed verification ]
Within the Labour Party (which supported Remain): Labour Leave was headed by donor John Mills.
Labour MPs supporting a Leave vote:
Labour MSPs:
Former Labour MPs:
Within the Green Party (which supported Remain): the Green Leaves organisation campaigned on behalf of Green Party members who advocated a leave vote. [479] Member of the House of Lords and former London Assembly Member Jenny Jones (Baroness Jones) campaigned to leave. [480] [481]
Within the Liberal Democrats (which supported Remain): the Liberal Leave campaign was headed by former Hereford MP, Paul Keetch. [482]
Within the SNP (which supported Remain): former SNP deputy leader and MP Jim Sillars and former SNP leader and MP Gordon Wilson endorsed a leave vote in the referendum. [483] [484] [485] Former Scottish government minister Alex Neil declared that he voted leave and that several of his fellow SNP MSPs did likewise. [486] [487] There were multiple groups for SNP members advocating a leave vote, such as SNP Vote Leave and SNP GO!. [488]
Within the UUP (which supported Remain): Harold McKee MLA [489] and former leader Tom Elliott MP [490]
Economists:
Journalists:
Writers:
Historians:
Trade unionists:
Music artists:
Sports personalities:
Artists:
Actors and actresses:
Religious figures:
Others:
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For those who believe, as this newspaper does, in free trade and freedom of movement, the benefits to Britain of its membership of the EU have never been in much doubt.
The Guardian will make no apology, between now and 23 June, for making the case for Britain in Europe as clearly, as honestly and as insistently as possible.
For people in Northern Ireland, the only way to ensure economic stability and maintain free movement north and south is to vote Remain.
Perhaps unsurprisingly for someone from Sweden, whose family's business interests are based in Switzerland and who chooses to live in Britain, with its more favourable tax regime, she appears to be strongly anti-Brexit.
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Couching his arguments almost exclusively in economic terms, Lord Trimble – who supports a British withdrawal from the EU – was keen to stress that he is not anti-European.
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: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)As I have already stated, the Isle of Man Government has not taken a policy position on the referendum, as it is a matter for the people of the UK to decide