PLEASE ALSO SEE  P.S.  BELOW

To: Jeremy Corbyn MP, Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition in the UK Parliament

Dear Mr Corbyn,

We have now well past the half-way point between the Advisory EU Referendum vote in 2016 and the date in March 2019 earmarked by Prime Minister Theresa May for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union.

Our petition is to ask you and your Shadow Cabinet colleagues as a matter of the utmost urgency to stop this unfathomable trajectory towards the ruination of Britain as a forward-looking, great and open nation. 

We note with rapidly rising concern that virtually no progress has been made towards the ‘seamless transition’ which, with typical abandon, the Brexiteers promised those who voted to Leave.  Rather, every day brings yet more evidence that leaving the EU will inflict decades of massive, probably irreparable, damage on the United Kingdom. 

We are appalled - as you must be - that, via Brexit, Britain stands to lose critical international agencies in science, medicine, banking, law and other fields.  We are horrified by the prospect of systematic long-term threats to food production, health services and other vital parts of the UK’s economic and social infrastructure.  We know that the problems Brexit poses for Eire and Northern Ireland are even more serious still.

Increasingly, the evidence (emerging from the Paradise Papers and elsewhere) is that Brexit will benefit only the very wealthy, and not the 'ordinary people' across the country whom Brexit campaigners misled to secure votes for Leave.  That artifice is why currently we see representatives of the fishing industry in North-East England, the agricultural industry in Cornwall, and similar sectors in Wales, asking for special consideration. All these areas voted Leave in 2016, it now transpires against their own interests. And it would appear that the substantial vote in Scotland to Remain is simply ignored.

‘Ordinary people' have every right to feel angry about this massive deception by various wealth owners and influencers who promised huge benefits for all from Brexit, but have been able to deliver nothing beyond their possible future self-interest if the 2019 EU tax protocols are avoided.

The most important task now facing Labour is to ameliorate the damage already being inflicted on the UK, including to those who were deceived by Brexiteers. 

It is not appropriate to comment on the Referendum choice of these Leave voters.

Rather, Labour must now deliver convincing and responsible leadership.  Brexit is a disastrous idea which must be reversed forthwith.

Labour must explain, urgently, that legitimate and/or perceived issues such as immigration cannot in any case be addressed fully by Brexit.  There are better, and decent, ways to cope with these issues; xenophobia is unacceptable. Likewise, our European neighbours deserve a respect and support which has thus far been withheld in the UK-EU ‘negotiations’.

The future interests of ordinary British people cannot be served by uncritical acceptance of the 37% vote (of those on this occasion enfranchised), on that day in 2016 and with tragically inadequate information, to support an Advisory EU Referendum option to Leave. This vote must not over-ride the subsequent convincing evidence that Brexit would be a disaster for the UK economy, for jobs, for health services, for food production and for working and human rights in the UK.

History will not excuse those who continue to press towards Brexit.  We know from the recent statements by Lord Kerr, who wrote it, that Article 50 can be withdrawn.

In the interests of the many, not the few, we ask you Mr Corbyn, as Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition, to secure in a politically apposite manner the withdrawal of Article 50.

The United Kingdom must remain in the European Union. 

                                                ~ ~ ~

Stronger in Europe - No to #Brexit, (Facebook page)

Twitter accounts with the tag #FBPE (#FollowBackProEU, eg: @Hilary4RemaIN #FBPE)  (tag for posts on this petition: #TellJeremyStopBrexit)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PS You may also like to support these petitions: 

* For UK Residents and Citizens:

Halt Brexit For a Public Inquiry:

>> https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/241848  

* For everyone:

Halt Brexit For A Public Inquiry: Did Politicians Know About Illegalities Before Article50?

>> https://www.change.org/p/halt-brexit-for-a-publicinquiry-did-politicians-know-about-illegalities-before-they-triggered-article50