Signatories to ‘halt Brexit’ letter

POET Christine de Luca, former Shetland Arts chief Gwilym Gibbons and ex-Northern Isles MP Jim Wallace are among more than 60 signatories to an open letter calling for the UK to halt Brexit.

A number of figures from Scottish civic society have signed the letter, published in The Herald newspaper on Tuesday, calling on the UK government to “think again” as the “disastrous consequences” of leaving the EU are “now becoming ever clearer”.

The letter emphasises what they see as the need for the UK to “build a fairer, more equal country as part of a wider push, from inside the EU, for a fairer, more equal Europe”.

In addition to de Luca, Gibbons (who now runs an arts company called Creative Help) and Wallace (who served as Orkney and Shetland MP from 1983-2001), leading historian Sir Tom Devine, Global Public Health professor Sir Harry Burns, Friends of the Earth Scotland director Dr Richard Dixon, broadcaster Lesley Riddoch, former First Minister Henry McLeish and various other politicians from Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the SNP have signed the letter. A change.org petition has also been launched.

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The letter states: “We come from a broad range of sectors across our society – business, education, law, politics, public services, unions, NGOs and more.

“We see our society, economy and politics becoming ever more undermined due to the impact of Brexit. We recognise that a narrow majority voted to leave the European Union, but the disastrous consequences are now becoming ever clearer – every day.

“Even before the UK has left the EU, we face falling living standards, rising inflation, slowing growth and lower productivity.

“Our international reputation has been seriously damaged, leaving the UK weak, with diminished influence, in an increasingly uncertain and unstable world.

“EU citizens who have made a huge social and economic contribution to our society have been left in profound uncertainty – many have already left, many more are considering leaving. UK citizens elsewhere in the EU are in an unacceptable limbo too.

“We call for a national debate on Brexit. We ask our fellow citizens, and our politicians, to think again. It is time to call a halt to Brexit.”