Sixty-nine leading figures from Scottish society, including John Kerr, the former head of the Foreign Office who drafted Article 50, and George Robertson, former defence secretary, have called for a halt to the Brexit process.
The initiative challenges the view that a “soft Brexit” is an acceptable compromise, warning that “our society, economy and politics (are) becoming ever more undermined due to the impact of Brexit.”
While recognizing the outcome of the referendum, they argue that “in a democracy it is always possible to think again and to choose a different direction.”
The signatories come from across the political spectrum, described by the Herald newspaper as “a Who’s Who of Scotland’s intellectual elite”, including Henry McLeish, former Scottish first minister, Dame Anne Glover, vice-principal of Aberdeen university, and Helen Liddell, former secretary of state for Scotland.
Here is their letter in full:
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.
In a democracy, it is always possible to think again and to choose a different direction. We need to think again about Brexit, to have a UK-wide debate about calling a halt to the process and changing our minds. The UK has been a major and influential actor in Europe and can be again. We need to have a debate about how to build a better, fairer, more equal society. Then we will be in a position to contribute to an EU-wide debate on creating a fairer, more equal Europe.
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.
A petition seeking support for the initiative is also available here.
Signatories:
Prof. David Bell, Stirling Management School, University of Stirling
Andrew Bolger, former Scotland Correspondent, Financial Times,
Prof. Christina Boswell, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh
Professor Sir Harry Burns, Professor of Global Public Health, University of Strathclyde
The Rt. Hon Lord Campbell of Pittenweem CH CBE PC QC
Dr Chad Damro, University of Edinburgh
Professor Emeritus Sir Tom Devine, University of Edinburgh
Christine De Luca, poet
Dr Richard Dixon, Director, Friends of the Earth Scotland
Sir David Edward, Professor Emeritus Edinburgh University Law School and former ECJ Judge
John Edward, Former Head of European Parliament Office in Scotland/Former EU Policy Manager, Scotland Europa
Colin Imrie, European policy analyst
Maria Fletcher Director, Director of Scottish Universities Legal Network on Europe (SULNE)
Lord Foulkes of Cumnock
Dr Peter Geoghegan, University of the West of Scotland,
Gwilym Gibbons Creative Help Ltd
Professor Dame Anne Glover, Vice Principal for External Affairs and Dean for Europe, University of Aberdeen
Vanessa Glynn, Chair, European Movement in Scotland
David Gow, Editor, Sceptical Scot, Editor, Social Europe
Michele Gordon, Director, The Language Hub
Dr Eve Hepburn, Chief Executive, Fearless Femme CIC
David Hood, Director, Edinburgh Institute for Collaborative & Competitive Advantage
Dr Kirsty Hughes, Director, Scottish Centre on European Relations
Helen Hunter Education Officer (retired)
Helen Kay M.A., M.Sc.
Stefan G Kay OBE
Patricia Kelly, Retired Teacher
Lord Kerr of Kinlochard GCMG
Mark Lazarowicz, former Labour MP 2001 – 2015, Edinburgh North
Graham Leicester, International Futures Forum (in a personal capacity)
Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke, former Secretary of State Scotland and former High Commissioner to Australia.
Dr John MacDonald, Director of the Scottish Global Forum and editor of CABLE magazine
Gordon Macintyre-Kemp Author and Chief Executive, Business for Scotland
Dame Mariot Leslie
David Martin, MEP
Monica Martins, Managing Director, WomenBeing Project
Marilyne MacLaren, retired politician and educationalist
Rt. Hon. Henry McLeish, former First Minister
Maggie Mellon, former executive board, Women for Independence and social work consultant
Professor Steve Murdoch, University of St Andrews
Isobel Murray, Professor Emeritus Modern Scottish Literature, Aberdeen University
Dr Kath Murray, Criminal Justice Researcher
Andrew Ormston, Director of Drew Wylie Projects
Alex Orr, Managing Director, Orbit Communications (in a personal capacity)
Robert Palmer [email protected]
Ray Perman, author and journalist
Willis Pickard, former editor TES Scotland and Rector, Aberdeen University,
Dr Janet Powney, consultant in education and evaluation research
Lesley Riddoch
Ian Ritchie, software entrepreneur
Baron Robertson of Port Ellen, KT, former Secretary of State for Defence, former Secretary General, NATO
Bill Rodger, Treasurer, European Movement in Scotland
Anthony Salamone, Research Fellow and Strategic Adviser, Scottish Centre on European Relations
Prof. Andrew Scott, University of Edinburgh
Anne Scott, Secretary, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Scottish Branch
Peter K. Sellar Advocate, Axiom Advocates Faculty of Advocates, Edinburgh,
Prof. Jo Shaw, University of Edinburgh
Dr Kirsteen Shields, Lecturer in Public Law, University of Dundee
Martin Sime, Chief Executive, SCVO
Alyn Smith, MEP
Grahame Smith, General Secretary STUC
Professor Michael E. Smith, Professor of International Relations, University of Aberdeen
Prof. Chris Smout, Historiographer Royal of Scotland and Emeritus Professor, University of St Andrews
Struan Stevenson, former MEP and European Movement in Scotland Vice-President
Bob Tait, philosopher and former Chair, Langstane Housing Association, Aberdeen
Lord (Jim) Wallace of Tankerness Lib Dem Peer & former Deputy First Minister
Sir Graham Watson, former President of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (ALDE Party), former MEP
Dr Geoffrey Whittam, Reader, Glasgow Caledonian University
Fay Young, Director of a digital media company
Edited by Sam Ashworth-Hayes
What a wonderful and timely initiative. As every day we read of the colossal damage that Brexit will make to the UK in all fields, is it not now time for a similar initiative to be undertaken in England and Wales ? Both of the principal parties in the House of Commons seem at the moment incapable of acting to stop or even question the Brexit process. A similar initiative in England and Wales to the one now undertaken in Scotland could possibly help to generate a new momentum to reconsider Brexit and provide the justification for doing so which the House of Commons apparently desperately needs but is terrified of undertaking ” because the people have spoken “.