Wnat follows below are some links to material and activists supporting #RemaIN.

I am fundamentally opposed to the UK withdrawing from the European Union. This is not simply a matter of economics (though that’s critical); it’s about the basic need for modern societies to work together progressively and closely in solving the many problems that collectively we face – including the challenges of security, migration, health, human rights, environment, food production and much else.

Like every other political body anywhere in the world, the EU can be improved; but if the UK leaves that will be an act of needless and wanton destruction, probably not only a threat in fact to the EU, but also perhaps the end of the United Kingdom as well.  No-one to my knowledge has been able to reassure on these matters.

The EU referendum was an advisory measure [1] expressly billed as informing a conversation (not autocratic dictat) between our political leaders on the best way forward.

The referendum failed to deliver on this objective:

• the debate was damaged by much very serious ‘mis-speaking’ (lies),
• only a minority of the electorate, at best 37%, supported #Leave (there was certainly nothing near the supermajority which would in a properly formulated referendum justify fundamental constitutional change [3] – Scottish devolution in 2015 required and failed to achieve 40% of the total electorate),
• many groups such as 16-18s, EU residents and numbers of UK ex-pats with significant interests around the European question were excluded, and
• the subsequent repetition of the mantra that opposition to Brexit is ‘unpatriotic’ and ‘must be silenced’ is blatant and undemocratic emotional blackmail.

And alongside all this Brexit has released a wave of disrespect for ‘others’, at worst hate crimes and blatant xenophobia, with all that means for the breakdown of communities and trust.  We already know that significant numbers of Leave supporters used the EU referendum to voice various hitherto largely suppressed and non-progressive / retrogressive ‘Little England’ views; and we also now know that despite claims to the contrary it was not working class Labour voters who elected to Leave – more chose Remain – but, rather, people who normally vote Conservative or even for UKIP (all of which makes official Labour positions on Brexit even more inexplicable).

Brexit, and particularly the way it is being handled in 2017 by those in Government, is a shameful rebuttal of values essential to the common good.  These values are without fail in need of promotion, and not ever of talking down (often, by UK politicians at present, unpleasantly).  The European Union is a community of 500 million people who hold in common respect for universal human rights and a deep, historically driven, desire to resolve conflict peacefully.

Readers here who share this perspective and want the UK to remain in the European Union may find some of the resources and links below of interest.

Remainers may also wish to support and share these petitions (all of them about retaining rights, free movement and continuing EU citizenship):

• The European Citizen’s Initiative European Free Movement Instrument [3]
• Save Our EU Citizenship and
• The Good Law Project

Those looking for more general (and authoritative) material on why #Brexit is a very regressive, indeed very bad, idea may like these links:

• The New European (weekly newspaper)
• Podcasts by Prof Michael Dougan, a leading expert on European law
• Articles by the philosopher Prof A C Grayling
• Patrick Stewart sketch: What has the ECHR ever done for us? – video
• Gordon Brown: Lead not Leave – video
• The Observer view on triggering article 50 Observer editorial “As Britain hurtles towards the precipice, truth and democracy are in short supply”

as well as organisations such as

• Unite for Europe / @uniteforeurope,
• Stop the Silence / @StopSilenceUK,
• Britain Stays /  @BritainStays
• Postcards From The 48% / @postcards_48
• European Movement UK / @euromove

and activists for #RemaIN such as

• Richard Corbett / @RCorbettMEP
• Jo Maugham QC / @JolyonMaugham and
• Guy Verhofstadt / @GuyVerhofstadt .

I have established an open forum for this discussion on Facebook: Britain Stronger In Europe, where Brits and Europeans who also have concerns are welcome to share information and ideas  (no trolls please). The forum comprises a consistently updated ‘library’ of news reports, analysis and notices about Brexit and actions to stop it by those who wish to #RemaIN.

There is also occasional discussion of issues around Brexit here, on Strictly Politically (inc Brexit: Why we haven’t left the Labour Party (yet) ), and more frequent debate with many others via my Twitter account, @HilaryBurrage.

Please feel free to add as Comment below other sources which support #RemaIN.  Thank you.

[1] See also Briefing Paper 07212, 3 June 2015: European Union Referendum Bill, Section 5  http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-7212  

[2] See e-petition with over 4 million supporters: EU Referendum Rules triggering a 2nd EU Referendum

[3] The aim of which is: “For the better functioning of a free market, in the interest of the Union and in order to comply with the duty of care towards all its citizens, we beg the Commission to delineate a method by which all Europeans of good standing may be granted a signal & permanent instrument of their status and of their right to free movement throughout the Union by way of a unified document of laissez-passer as permitted by Article (4) of Council Regulation 1417/2013, or by another method“