A Letter for MPs to sign on Brexit

Note: This was originally published June 29, 2016

Further to my analysis on Brexit, I wanted to make it more actionable. So here’s a draft letter I urge MPs to sign… :)

Dear Mr. Speaker,

We the undersigned Members of Parliament, believe that the UK should remain in the EU despite the referendum result from 23rd June 2016.

In the referendum, 17m citizens voted in favour of leaving the EU and 16m voted to remain. It was a non binding referendum, however, and there are a number of key reasons why we do not find it sufficient mandate to accept leaving:

- Firstly, the closeness of the result. This decision is of critical importance to the UK people — on economic, security and many other levels. Being so close a result and the many factors that could swing it this way or the other by these margins, this cannot be said to be a clear statement of the will of the people.

- Secondly, its irreversibility. Leaving the EU is largely irreversible. Given the close result above, it is critical to examine whether this is sufficient mandate. Nothing makes this more clear than the Leave campaign’s insistence that a second referendum take place if Remain got <60% of the vote. Well the reverse should also be true.

- Thirdly, the younger generation. The result does not take into account the asymmetric effects on the younger generations who must live with the decision over generations to come and who overwhelmingly voted in favour to remain. Whilst a general election affects people for 4–5 years, this one affects us for generations — and those it affects most cannot be marginalised.

Given the above, it is our resolve that the referendum was too close to give mandate to undertake the monumentous decision of taking the UK out of the EU. As MPs in our representative democracy, it is our job to think about what is right and in the best interests of the UK peoples, even if unpopular.

As such, we will vote against any attempt to introduce Article 50 to exit the European Union.

Signed,

Will Marshall