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 The United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, commonly referred to as the EU referendum or the Brexit referendum, took place on 23 June 2016 in the United Kingdom (UK) and Gibraltar to ask the electorate whether the country shoul ...

Remain

Government

Territories voting in referendum

* Government of the United Kingdom * Scottish Government * Welsh Government * Government of Gibraltar

Other Crown dependencies

Government of Jersey , image = , caption=Logos of the Government of Jersey in English and Jèrriais , date = , state = Jersey , address = 19-21 Broad Street, Saint Helier , appointed = Chief Minister, with approval ...

* Government of Guernsey

Non-UK governments

* Government of Ireland * Government of Canada *

Government of Indonesia The term Government of Indonesia ( id, Pemerintah Indonesia) can have a number of different meanings. At its widest, it can refer collectively to the three traditional branches of government – the executive branch, legislative branch and ju ...

* Government of Japan * Government of South Korea

Registered political parties

Parties organised in more than one of the Home Nations: * Green Party of England and Wales * Labour Party * Left Unity * Liberal Democrats Parties in Scotland: *

Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from ...

(SNP) * Scottish Green Party * Scottish Socialist Party Parties in Northern Ireland: * Alliance Party of Northern Ireland * Green Party in Northern Ireland * NI21 * Sinn Féin * Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) * Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) Parties in Wales: * Plaid Cymru Parties in Gibraltar: *

Gibraltar Social Democrats The Gibraltar Social Democrats (GSD) is a liberal-conservative, centre-right political party in Gibraltar. The GSD was the governing party for four successive terms in office under the leadership of Peter Caruana, from the 1996 general electi ...

Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party The Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party (GSLP) is a social-democratic political party in Gibraltar. The GSLP is the oldest surviving active political party in Gibraltar. Its roots are based in the trade union movement, as its founder and former lea ...

* Liberal Party of Gibraltar Other regional parties: * Mebyon Kernow

Business leaders

Letter to ''The Times''

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".

Politicians

Only politicians who held positions that differed from the party line or whose party was officially neutral are listed here.

Conservative Party

Within the

Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

(which was officially neutral), 25 of the 30 Cabinet Ministers including the Prime Minister, specifically: Others included former Prime Minister

John Major Sir John Major (born 29 March 1943) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997, and as Member of Parliament ...

, former party leader William Hague, former Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine, David Willetts, former

Chancellor of the Exchequer The chancellor of the Exchequer, often abbreviated to chancellor, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and head of His Majesty's Treasury. As one of the four Great Offices of State, the Chancellor is ...

Ken Clarke Kenneth Harry Clarke, Baron Clarke of Nottingham, (born 2 July 1940), often known as Ken Clarke, is a British politician who served as Home Secretary from 1992 to 1993 and Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1993 to 1997 as well as serving as de ...

, and former ministers Edwina Currie and

Baroness Warsi Sayeeda Hussain Warsi, Baroness Warsi, (; born 28 March 1971) is a British lawyer, politician, and member of the House of Lords who served as Chairman of the Conservative Party, co-Chairwoman of the Conservative Party from 2010 to 2012. She se ...

(who, it was alleged, supported Leave, despite the Vote Leave side not being aware of her support prior to the allegations). 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: 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: Other Conservatives supporting a Remain vote were: *

Stephen Greenhalgh Stephen John Greenhalgh, Baron Greenhalgh (born 4 September 1967) is a British businessman and politician, and was the second Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime in London. He is a member of the Conservative Party. In April 2020 he was created ...

, the Deputy London Mayor until May 2016. * Stanley Johnson, former Conservative MEP and environmentalist, the father of Vote Leave Campaigner Boris Johnson *

Chris Patten Christopher Francis Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes, (; born 12 May 1944) is a British politician who was the 28th and last Governor of Hong Kong from 1992 to 1997 and Chairman of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1992. He was made a life pe ...

, former Chairman of the Conservative Party * Ruth Davidson, Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party

Scottish Conservative The Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party ( gd, Pàrtaidh Tòraidheach na h-Alba, sco, Scots Tory an Unionist Pairty), often known simply as the Scottish Conservatives and colloquially as the Scottish Tories, is a centre-right political par ...

MSPs Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP; gd, Ball Pàrlamaid na h-Alba, BPA; sco, Memmer o the Scots Pairliament, MSP) is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament. Electoral system The add ...

also included

Miles Briggs Miles Edward Frank Briggs (born 30 March 1983) is a British politician of the Scottish Conservative, who has served as a regional list Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Lothian region since the 2016 Scottish Parliament election. H ...

, Peter Chapman,

Jackson Carlaw David Jackson Carlaw (born 12 April 1959) is a Scottish politician who served as Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party from 2019 to 2020. He previously served as Deputy Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party from 2011 to 2019. He has b ...

John Lamont John Robert Lamont (born 15 April 1976) is a Scottish Conservative Party politician and solicitor who has served in the British House of Commons as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk since 2017. Lamont previou ...

Alex Johnstone Alexander Johnstone (31 July 1961 – 7 December 2016) was a Scottish Conservative politician. He served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for North East Scotland from 1999 until his death in 2016. Political career Johnstone had been ...

, Rachael Hamilton, Liz Smith,

Donald Cameron Donald Cameron may refer to: Scottish Clan Cameron * Donald Cameron of Lochiel (c. 1695 or 1700–1748), 19th Chief, and his descendants: ** Donald Cameron, 22nd Lochiel (1769–1832), 22nd Chief ** Donald Cameron of Lochiel (1835–1905), Scott ...

, Adam Tomkins, Douglas Ross,

Brian Whittle Brian Ian Whittle (born 26 April 1964) is a Scottish politician and former athlete, who has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the South Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region), South Scotland region since 2016 Scottish P ...

, Finlay Carson and

Annie Wells Annie Wells (born March 24, 1954) is an American photographer, winner of a Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography. Life She graduated from University of California, Santa Cruz with a B.A. in 1981, and studied photojournalism at San Francisco St ...

Independent

* Sylvia Hermon (MP for North Down); *

Jeffrey Evans, 4th Baron Mountevans Jeffrey Richard de Corban Evans, 4th Baron Mountevans, (born 13 May 1948) is a London shipbroker and British hereditary peer, who served as Lord Mayor of London from 2015 to 2016. Lord Mountevans was elected a City Alderman in 2007, served as ...

, Lord Mayor of London.

International figures

From other European Union member states

Other countries

International organisations

* European Central Bank * Group of Seven (G7) *

G-20 major economies The G20 or Group of Twenty is an Intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union (EU). It works to address major issues related to the World economy, global economy, such as international f ...

* World Trade Organization (WTO) * World Bank * International Monetary Fund * North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) *

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; french: Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques, ''OCDE'') is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental organisation with 38 member countries ...

* World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) * Unite the Union (British and Irish)

Businesses

Newspapers and magazines

British newspapers and magazines

Foreign newspapers and magazines

* '' Algemeen Dagblad'' (Netherlands) * ''

Der Spiegel ''Der Spiegel'' (, lit. ''"The Mirror"'') is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. With a weekly circulation of 695,100 copies, it was the largest such publication in Europe in 2011. It was founded in 1947 by John Seymour Chaloner ...

'' (Germany) * ''

Il Sole 24 Ore ''Il Sole 24 Ore'' () is an Italian national daily business newspaper owned by Confindustria, the Italian employers' federation. History and profile ''Il Sole 24 Ore'' was first published on 9 November 1965 as a merger between ''Il Sole'' ("the ...

'' (Italy) * ''

Irish Independent The ''Irish Independent'' is an Irish daily newspaper and online publication which is owned by Independent News & Media (INM), a subsidiary of Mediahuis. The newspaper version often includes glossy magazines. Traditionally a broadsheet new ...

'' (Ireland) * '' Le Soir'' (Belgium)

Local government authorities

* Birmingham City Council (Labour controlled) * Bristol City Council (Labour controlled) * Camden London Borough Council (Labour controlled) *

Cardiff City Council Cardiff City Council was the local government district authority that administered the city of Cardiff, capital of Wales, from 1974 until 1996. The district council replaced the pre-1974 county borough council. It was succeeded in 1996 by Car ...

(Labour controlled) * City of London Corporation (Independent control) *

Glasgow City Council Glasgow City Council is the local government authority for the City of Glasgow, Scotland. It was created in 1996 under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, largely with the boundaries of the post-1975 City of Glasgow district of the S ...

(Labour controlled) * Leeds City Council (Labour controlled) * Leicester City Council (Labour controlled) *

Liverpool City Council Liverpool City Council is the governing body for the city of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. It consists of 90 councillors, three for each of the city's 30 wards. The council is currently controlled by the Labour Party and is led by Mayor ...

(Labour controlled) *

London Assembly The London Assembly is a 25-member elected body, part of the Greater London Authority, that scrutinises the activities of the Mayor of London and has the power, with a two-thirds super-majority, to amend the Mayor's annual budget and to reject ...

(No overall control) *

Manchester City Council Manchester City Council is the local authority for Manchester, a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. Manchester is the sixth largest city in England by population. Its city council is composed of 96 councillors, three ...

(Labour controlled) * Milton Keynes Council (No overall control) * Newcastle City Council (Labour controlled) * Nottingham City Council (Labour controlled) * Redbridge London Borough Council (Labour controlled) * Sheffield City Council (Labour controlled)

Organisations

Trade unions

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.

Other organisations

Noted individuals

Healthcare professionals letter

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:

Royal Society letter

Led by Professor Stephen Hawking, more than 150 notable academics, all

Fellows Fellows may refer to Fellow, in plural form. Fellows or Fellowes may also refer to: Places * Fellows, California, USA * Fellows, Wisconsin, ghost town, USA Other uses * Fellows Auctioneers, established in 1876. *Fellowes, Inc., manufacturer of wo ...

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: Mirrored at

University leaders letter

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:

Creative Industries letter

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:

Economists' letter

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.

Lawyers' report

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".

Historians letter

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:

Armed Forces and Security Services

* Sir Jonathan Evans, former Director General of MI5 *

Eliza Manningham-Buller Elizabeth Lydia Manningham-Buller, Baroness Manningham-Buller, (born 14 July 1948) is a retired British intelligence officer. She was Director General of MI5, the British internal Security Service, from October 2002 until her retirement in Apr ...

, former Director General of MI5 * Sir John Sawers, former Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service ( MI6) * Sir

Hugh Orde Sir Hugh Stephen Roden Orde, (born 27 August 1958) is a retired British police officer who was the president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, representing the 44 police forces of England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Between 2002 a ...

, former president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, and former Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland *

Lynne Owens Dame Lynne Gillian Owens, (born 29 January 1969) is a senior law enforcement officer in the United Kingdom. She served as Director-General of the National Crime Agency from 2016 to 2021, making her one of the most senior law enforcement chiefs ...

Director-General of the National Crime Agency The Director General of the National Crime Agency is the head of the National Crime Agency in the United Kingdom, and as such is responsible for the overall management of the NCA. The Director General is appointed by, and reports to, the Home Secr ...

General Lord Dannatt General Francis Richard Dannatt, Baron Dannatt, (born 23 December 1950) is a retired senior British Army officer and member of the House of Lords. He was Chief of the General Staff (head of the Army) from 2006 to 2009. Dannatt was commissioned ...

, former Chief of the General Staff * General Sir Rupert Smith, former

Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe The Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) is the commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Allied Command Operations (ACO) and head of ACO's headquarters, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE). The commander is ...

* Lieutenant General Sir John Kiszeley, former

* Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, former First Sea Lord * Lord Stirrup, Marshal of the Royal Air Force, former Chief of Defence Staff * Robert Wainwright, director of Europol *

Lieutenant-General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

Sir Richard Shirreff, former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander of NATO *

Peter Carington, 6th Baron Carrington Peter Alexander Rupert Carington, 6th Baron Carrington, Baron Carington of Upton, (6 June 1919 – 9July 2018), was a British Conservative Party politician and hereditary peer who served as Defence Secretary from 1970 to 1974, Foreign Secretary ...

, former Secretary General of NATO * Field Marshal Edwin Bramall, Baron Bramall, former Chief of Defence Staff, British Army * Admiral of the Fleet Michael Boyce, Baron Boyce, former Chief of Defence Staff, Royal Navy * General Sir Mike Jackson, former Chief of the General Staff, British Army. * Lieutenant General Sir Rob Fry, former Deputy Chief of Defence Staff,

Royal Marines The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...

* Jonathan Shaw, Major-General, British Army.

Letters to ''The Guardian'' by European writers

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. The writers were: * Elena Ferrante, Italian * Javier Marías, Spanish *

Timur Vermes Timur Vermes (born 1967) is a German writer. Previously a ghostwriter, his first novel ''Er ist wieder da'', which has sold over a million copies in Germany, is a satire about Adolf Hitler and 21st-century Germany. The English version, '' Look W ...

, German * Anne Enright, Irish * Yanis Varoufakis, Greek * Riad Sattouf, French *

Jonas Jonasson Pär-Ola Jonas Jonasson (born Per Ola Jonasson; 6 July 1961) is a Swedish journalist and writer, best known as the author of the best-seller ''The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared''. Biography The son of an ambul ...

, Swedish *

Kapka Kassabova Kapka Kassabova (born in November 1973, in Bulgarian Капка Касабова) is a poet and writer of fiction and narrative non-fiction. Her mother tongue is Bulgarian, but she writes in English. Life Kapka Kassabova was born and grew up in S ...

, Bulgarian *

Slavoj Žižek Slavoj Žižek (, ; ; born 21 March 1949) is a Slovenian philosopher, cultural theorist and public intellectual. He is international director of the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities at the University of London, visiting professor at New Y ...

, Slovenian

Nobel Prize laureates letter

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. * Dr Sydney Brenner, Laureate, Physiology or Medicine 2002 *

Sir Martin Evans Sir Martin John Evans (born 1 January 1941) is an English biologist who, with Matthew Kaufman, was the first to culture mice embryonic stem cells and cultivate them in a laboratory in 1981. He is also known, along with Mario Capecchi and Oliv ...

, Laureate, Physiology or Medicine 2007 * Sir Andre Geim, Laureate, Physics 2010 *

Sir John Gurdon Sir John Bertrand Gurdon (born 2 October 1933) is a British developmental biologist. He is best known for his pioneering research in nuclear transplantation and cloning. He was awarded the Lasker Award in 2009. In 2012, he and Shinya Yamanaka ...

, Laureate, Physiology or Medicine 2012 * Professor Peter Higgs, Laureate, Physics 2013 *

Sir Tim Hunt Sir Richard Timothy Hunt, (born 19 February 1943) is a British biochemist and molecular physiologist. He was awarded the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Paul Nurse and Leland H. Hartwell for their discoveries of protein molecu ...

, Laureate, Physiology or Medicine 2001 * Dr Tomas Lindahl, Laureate, Chemistry 2015 * Sir Kostya Novoselov, Laureate, Physics 2010 *

Sir Paul Nurse Sir Paul Maxime Nurse (born 25 January 1949) is an English geneticist, former President of the Royal Society and Chief Executive and Director of the Francis Crick Institute. He was awarded the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine along ...

, Laureate, Physiology or Medicine 2001 * Professor John O'Keefe, Laureate, Physiology or Medicine 2014 * Sir Richard Roberts, Laureate, Physiology or Medicine 1993 *

Sir John Sulston Sir John Edward Sulston (27 March 1942 – 6 March 2018) was a British biologist and academic who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on the cell lineage and genome of the worm ''Caenorhabditis elegans'' in 2002 with ...

, Laureate, Physiology or Medicine 2002 * Sir John Walker, Laureate, Chemistry 1997

Nobel Prize in Economics laureates letter

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. *

George Akerlof George Arthur Akerlof (born June 17, 1940) is an American economist and a university professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University and Koshland Professor of Economics Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley. ...

, Laureate, 2001 * Kenneth Arrow, Laureate, 1972 * Angus Deaton, Laureate, 2015 *

Peter Diamond Peter Arthur Diamond (born , 1940) is an American economist known for his analysis of U.S. Social Security In the United States, Social Security is the commonly used term for the Federal government of the United States, federal Old-Age, ...

, Laureate, 2010 * James Heckman, Laureate, 2000 *

Eric Maskin Eric Stark Maskin (born December 12, 1950) is an American economist and mathematician. He was jointly awarded the 2007 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences with Leonid Hurwicz and Roger Myerson "for having laid the foundations of mechanism d ...

, Laureate, 2007 * Sir James Mirrlees, Laureate, 1996 *

Christopher A. Pissarides Sir Christopher Antoniou Pissarides (; el, Χριστόφορος Αντωνίου Πισσαρίδης; born 20 February 1948

, Laureate, 2010 * Robert Solow, Laureate, 1987 * Jean Tirole, Laureate, 2014

Leave

Registered political parties

Parties organised in more than one of the Home Nations: * British Democratic Party * Britain First * British National Party (BNP) * Liberal Party *

Independence from Europe Independence from Europe was a minor, Eurosceptic political party in the United Kingdom. The party was first registered in June 2012 but remained inactive until it was launched in October 2013 by sole party leader Mike Nattrass, a disaffected m ...

Liberty GB Liberty Great Britain or Liberty GB was a minor far-right British nationalist political party founded and led by Paul Weston that described itself as "counter-jihad". Liberty GB was anti-immigration, anti-Islamic and traditionalist. The group' ...

New Communist Party of Britain The New Communist Party of Britain is an anti-revisionist Marxist-Leninist communist party in Britain. The origins of the NCP lie in the Communist Party of Great Britain from which it split in 1977. The organisation takes an anti-revisioni ...

Libertarian Party (UK) The Libertarian Party, also known as the Libertarian Party UK (LPUK), is a Libertarianism, libertarian political party in the United Kingdom. Adam Brown has been the party's leader since August 2015.

* Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist–Leninist) * Respect Party *

Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (Marxist–Leninist) The Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (Marxist–Leninist) (RCPB-ML) is a small British communist political party, previously named the Communist Party of England (Marxist-Leninist) (CPE (ML)) on formation in 1972 until being reorga ...

* Socialist Labour Party *

Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) is a socialist electoral alliance launched in Britain for the 2010 general election. TUSC's co-founder was the RMT union general secretary Bob Crow. Members of the PCS, NUT, FBU and POA unio ...

* UK Independence Party (UKIP) * The Justice & Anti-Corruption Party * Workers Revolutionary Party Parties in England: * English Democrats Parties in Scotland: *

Scottish Democratic Alliance The Scottish Democratic Alliance (SDA) was a political organisation formed in 2009 as the successor to the Scottish Enterprise Party (SEP). It supports Scottish independence and withdrawal from the European Union. Although it evolved from a politic ...

* Scottish Libertarian Party *

Solidarity ''Solidarity'' is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. It is based on class collaboration.''Merriam Webster'', http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictio ...

Parties in Northern Ireland: *

Democratic Unionist Party The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is a unionist, loyalist, and national conservative political party in Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1971 during the Troubles by Ian Paisley, who led the party for the next 37 years. Currently led by J ...

(DUP) * Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) *

People Before Profit People Before Profit ( ga, Pobal Roimh Bhrabús, PBP) is a left-wing to far-left Trotskyist political party formed in October 2005. It is active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. History PBP was established in 2005 as the ...

Éirígí Éirígí (), officially Éirígí For A New Republic, is a socialist republican political party in Ireland. The party name, , means "Arise" or "Rise Up" in Irish, and is a reference to the slogan "The great only appear great because we are on ...

* Irish Republican Socialist Party * Workers' Party

Business leaders

Politicians

Only politicians who hold positions that differ from the party line or whose party is officially neutral are listed here.

Conservative Party

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 The secretary of state for work and pensions, also referred to as the work and pensions secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with overall responsibility for the business of the Department for Work and P ...

was Iain Duncan Smith, who also supports leave. He subsequently resigned following the

2016 United Kingdom budget The 2016 United Kingdom budget was delivered by George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to the House of Commons on Wednesday, 16 March 2016. It was the second fully Conservative budget delivered by Osborne, after the July 2015 budget. ...

. Some suspected his resignation was due to his support for British withdrawal from the EU, but Duncan Smith has denied this, stating that such allegations were a "deliberate attempt to discredit" him. As well as these ministers, the former Mayor of London Boris Johnson; the Conservative candidate for the 2016 mayoral election, Zac Goldsmith; former leader

Michael Howard Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne (born Michael Hecht; 7 July 1941) is a British politician who served as Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005. He previously held cabinet posi ...

, former

Defence Secretary A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...

Liam Fox and the leader of the Welsh Conservative Party Andrew RT Davies 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). Many other Conservative MPs announced that they would campaign for Britain to vote to Leave: * Conservatives MEPs include

Daniel Hannan Daniel John Hannan, Baron Hannan of Kingsclere (born 1 September 1971) is a British writer, journalist and former politician serving as an adviser to the Board of Trade since 2020. He is the founding president of the Initiative for Free Trade ...

, Andrew Lewer,

Emma McClarkin Emma McClarkin (born 9 October 1978) is a British Conservative Party politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament for the East Midlands region from 2009 to 2019. She was a spokesman for international trade for the Conservative ...

Amjad Bashir Amjad Mahmood Bashir ( ur, امجد محمود بشیر; born 17 September 1952) is a British politician who served as a Member of the European Parliament for the Yorkshire and the Humber region between 2014 and 2019. He was elected in 2014 for ...

David Campbell-Bannerman David Campbell Bannerman (born 28 May 1960 in Bombay, India) is a British Conservative Party politician who served as Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the East of England from 2009 to 2019. He is currently Chairman of The Freedom Ass ...

and Syed Kamall * Conservative peers include Lords Trimble (David Trimble), Tebbit (Norman Tebbit), Kalms (former Tory treasurer and former Dixons Retail chairman), The Marquess of Lothian (Michael Ancram), and Lord Framer, former treasurer, Lord Dobbs, Baron Leach and former deputy party chairman

Lord Ashcroft Michael Anthony Ashcroft, Baron Ashcroft, (born 4 March 1946) is a British-Belizean businessman, pollster and politician. He is a former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party. Ashcroft founded Michael A. Ashcroft Associates in 1972 and is ...

* The Bow Group, a Conservative think-tank, also lent its support to the Leave.EU campaign. *

include Margaret Mitchell, Graham Simpson, Alexander Stewart,

Ross Thomson Ross Thomson (born 21 September 1987) is a former Scottish Conservative Party politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Aberdeen South from June 2017 to November 2019. Thomson was the first Conservative MP elected for Aberdeen South ...

, Gordon Lindhurst and Oliver Mundell. * Former Conservative MPs Esther McVey ( Wirral West (2010–2015)),

Louise Mensch Louise Daphne Mensch ('' née'' Bagshawe; born 28 June 1971) is a British blogger, novelist, and former Conservative Member of Parliament. In the 1990s she became known as a writer of chick lit novels under her maiden name Louise Bagshawe. She ...

( Corby (2010–2012)), Michael Portillo (

Enfield Southgate Enfield Southgate is a constituency in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. It was created in 1950 as Southgate, and has been represented since 2017 by Bambos Charalambous, a member of the Labour Party. History From 1950 to the 1983 ge ...

), Ann Widdecombe ( Maidstone) and Teddy Taylor ( Glasgow Cathcart)

Labour Party

Within the Labour Party (which supported Remain):

Labour Leave Labour Leave is a Eurosceptic campaign group in the United Kingdom. The group is unofficially affiliated with the Labour Party, and campaigned for the United Kingdom to vote to withdraw from the European Union, in the June 2016 EU Referendum. T ...

was headed by donor John Mills. Labour MPs supporting a Leave vote: *

Ronnie Campbell Ronald Campbell (born 14 August 1943) is a former British Labour Party politician who was Member of Parliament (MP) for Blyth Valley from 1987 until 2019. Early life Campbell was born in Tynemouth, and grew up with seven siblings. He atten ...

(

Blyth Valley Blyth Valley was a local government district and borough in south-east Northumberland, England, bordering the North Sea and Tyne and Wear. The two principal towns were Blyth and Cramlington. Other population centres include Seaton Delaval, and ...

) * John Cryer (

Leyton and Wanstead Leyton and Wanstead is a constituency created in 1997 and represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by John Cryer of the Labour Party. Boundaries Uniting for general elections areas from the boroughs of Redbridge ...

) – frontbench member; Chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party * Frank Field ( Birkenhead) * Roger Godsiff (

Birmingham Hall Green Birmingham Hall Green is a parliamentary constituency in the city of Birmingham, which has been represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2019 by Tahir Ali of the Labour Party. It has become in recent years a Labour sa ...

) * Kate Hoey (

Vauxhall Vauxhall ( ) is a district in South West London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. Vauxhall was part of Surrey until 1889 when the County of London was created. Named after a medieval manor, "Fox Hall", it became well known for ...

) * Kelvin Hopkins ( Luton North) * John Mann (

Bassetlaw Bassetlaw may refer to: * Bassetlaw (UK Parliament constituency), Nottinghamshire constituency in the British House of Commons * Bassetlaw District General Hospital, a National Health Service hospital in Worksop, Nottinghamshire * Bassetlaw Distri ...

) * Dennis Skinner ( Bolsover) *

Graham Stringer Graham Eric Stringer (born 17 February 1950) is a British Labour Party politician serving as MP for Blackley and Broughton since 1997. Before entering Parliament, he served as leader of Manchester City Council from 1984 to 1996, and chair o ...

( Blackley and Broughton) * Gisela Stuart ( Birmingham Edgbaston) Labour MSPs: * Elaine Smith Former Labour MPs: * Ian Davidson ( Glasgow South West 1992–2015) * Sir Patrick Duffy ( Colne Valley 1963–1966; Sheffield Attercliffe 1970–1992) * Bryan Gould (

Southampton Test Southampton Test is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1997 by Alan Whitehead, a member of the Labour Party. History The constituency was created for the 1950 general election, when the previous two-m ...

1974–1979;

Dagenham Dagenham () is a town in East London, England, within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Dagenham is centred east of Charing Cross. It was historically a rural parish in the Becontree Hundred of Essex, stretching from Hainault Forest ...

1983–1994) - Labour leadership candidate in

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

. * Nigel Griffiths ( Edinburgh South 1987–2010) * Tom Harris ( Glasgow South 2001–2015) *

Austin Mitchell Austin Vernon Mitchell (19 September 1934 – 18 August 2021) was a British academic, journalist and Labour Party (UK), Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), member of Parliament (MP) for Great Grimsby (UK ...

( Great Grimsby 1977–2015) * Ronald Thomas ( Bristol North West 1974–1979)

Green Party

Within the

Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...

(which supported Remain): the Green Leaves organisation campaigned on behalf of Green Party members who advocated a leave vote. Member of the House of Lords and former London Assembly Member

Jenny Jones Jenny Jones may refer to: People *Jenny Jones (presenter) (born 1946), United States television personality and host of ''The Jenny Jones Show'' *Jenny Jones, Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (born 1949), British Green Party politician, member of the ...

(Baroness Jones) campaigned to leave.

Liberal Democrats

Within the Liberal Democrats (which supported Remain): the Liberal Leave campaign was headed by former

Hereford Hereford () is a cathedral city, civil parish and the county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, south-west of Worcester and north-west of Gloucester. With a population ...

MP,

Paul Keetch Paul Stuart Keetch (21 May 1961 – 24 May 2017) was a Liberal Democrat politician and lobbyist who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Hereford from 1997 to 2010. Early life He went to Hereford High School for Boys (now Aylestone Business ...

Scottish National Party

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. Former Scottish government minister Alex Neil declared that he voted leave and that several of his fellow SNP MSPs did likewise. There were multiple groups for SNP members advocating a leave vote, such as ''SNP Vote Leave'' and ''SNP GO!''.

Ulster Unionist Party

Within the UUP (which supported Remain):

Harold McKee Harold McKee is a Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) politician from Northern Ireland. He served as an Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for South Down from 2016 to 2017, and currently is a councillor on ...

MLA and former leader

Tom Elliott Thomas or Tom Elliott may refer to: * Thomas Elliott (footballer) (1890–?), English footballer * Thomas Elliott (Australian cricketer) (1879–1939), Australian cricketer * Thomas Elliott (New Zealand cricketer) (1867–?), New Zealand cricketer ...

Independent

Lord Owen David Anthony Llewellyn Owen, Baron Owen, (born 2 July 1938) is a British politician and physician who served as Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs as a Labour Party MP under James Callaghan from 1977 to 1979, and later ...

, currently an independent Social Democrat peer, former

Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

Foreign Secretary The secretary of state for foreign, Commonwealth and development affairs, known as the foreign secretary, is a minister of the Crown of the Government of the United Kingdom and head of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Seen as ...

and leader (and co-founder) of the

Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...

. * Lord Kilclooney, currently a crossbench peer, former Ulster Unionist Party MP and MEP. * Lord Stoddart, member of the House of Lords since 1983 (formerly a Labour peer) and Independent Labour peer since 2002.

International figures

From other European Union member states

Other countries

Businesses

Newspapers and magazines

British newspapers and magazines

Foreign newspapers and magazines

* '' National Review'', US current affairs magazine

Local government authorities

Bromley London Borough Council Bromley London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Bromley in Greater London, England. It is one of 32 London borough councils. History There have previously been a number of local authorities responsible for the Bro ...

(Conservative controlled) *

Havering London Borough Council Havering London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Havering in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. Havering is divided into 18 wards, each elect ...

(Conservative-Residents controlled) became the first council in the UK to back Brexit. * Lincolnshire County Council (Conservative controlled) * Portsmouth City Council (Conservative minority) *

Thanet District Council Thanet may refer to: *Isle of Thanet, a former island, now a peninsula, at the most easterly point of Kent, England *Thanet District, a local government district containing the island *Thanet College, former name of East Kent College *Thanet Canal, ...

(UKIP controlled) *

Thurrock Council Thurrock Borough Council, usually known as simply Thurrock Council, is the local authority for the borough of Thurrock in Essex, England. Since 1997, Thurrock has been a unitary authority, combining the functions of a non-metropolitan county wit ...

(UKIP – Conservative controlled)

Organisations

Trade unions

* Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) * Bakers, Food and Allied Workers' Union (BFAWU) *

Indian Workers' Association The Indian Workers' Association (IWA) is a political organisation in Great Britain which consists of Indian immigrants to Britain and their descendants. IWA branches are organised in some major cities such as Birmingham and London. As one of ...

* National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) * Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance (NIPSA)

Other organisations

* Bangladesh Caterers Association UK * Bow Group *

The Bruges Group The Bruges Group is a think tank based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1989, it advocates for a restructuring of Britain's relationship with the European Union and other European countries. Its members and staff campaign against the notion of ...

Commonwealth Freedom of Movement Organisation CANZUK International is an international advocacy organisation which aims to achieve the free movement of citizens, free trade agreements and foreign policy cooperation between Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom through i ...

Noted individuals

Officially endorse neither side

Government

Other Crown dependencies

Government of the Isle of Man The Council of Ministers ( gv, Coonseil ny Shirveishee; often abbreviated informally to "CoMin") is the principal executive organ of the Isle of Man Government. Its role is similar to, though not identical with, that of the Cabinet in the United K ...

Registered political parties

– allows members free choice, suspending collective ministerial responsibility. * Official Monster Raving Loony Party – supports a vote on "In", "Out" or " Shake it all about". * Socialist Equality Party – supports an

electoral boycott An election boycott is the boycotting of an election by a group of voters, each of whom abstains from voting. Boycotting may be used as a form of political protest where voters feel that electoral fraud is likely, or that the electoral system i ...

. * Women's Equality Party – non-partisan on the issue, argues that EU gains on women's rights should not be lost if Britain withdraws.

Businesses

* Lloyds Banking Group * Morrisons * Sainsbury's * Tesco * South West Trains

Newspapers and magazines

* '' i'' * '' Yorkshire Post''

International figures

* Ted Cruz, US Senator and 2016 Republican presidential candidate * Gary Johnson, 2016 Libertarian Party presidential candidate * Vladimir Putin, President of Russia *

Paul Ryan Paul Davis Ryan (born January 29, 1970) is an American former politician who served as the List of Speakers of the United States House of Representatives, 54th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019. A member o ...

, Former Speaker of the US House of Representatives

Organisations

38 Degrees 38 Degrees is a British not-for-profit political-activism organisation. It describes itself as " progressive" and claims to "campaign for fairness, defend rights, promote peace, preserve the planet and deepen democracy in the UK". 38 Degrees ta ...

– supports giving clear information about the referendum and the European Union * Church of England * Open Europe, think tank advocating liberal, market-orientated and decentralising reforms within the European Union * Patricia Scotland, Baroness Scotland, Commonwealth Secretary-General, stated Commonwealth had no unified position on Britain should stay or go, but that the idea to replace the EU with the Commonwealth is a false choice.

References

{{United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, 2016, state=expanded 2016 in Gibraltar 2016 in the United Kingdom 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum European Union membership referendum, 2016