More than 100 MEPs from every corner of EU sign heartfelt letter asking British people to reconsider Brexit

MEPs from nearly every country in the EU have signed a heartfelt joint letter to the British public asking them to reconsider their decision to leave the bloc to prevent an “unfolding Brexit disaster”.

The cross-party message, which was organised by an Austrian MEP and signed by 129 of his colleagues, says the continent is “looking with growing anxiety” across the Channel to events occurring in Britain.

“We are reluctant to intervene in your domestic politics, but we cannot help but notice that the opinion polls show a growing number of voters who want an opportunity to reconsider the Brexit decision, now that it is clear that Brexit is very different to the promises made by the Leave campaign nearly three years ago,” the MEPs say.

The representatives – who come from across the conservative, liberal, socialist and green groups – add that though they respect and regret the decision of the UK to leave, “any British decision to remain in the EU would be warmly welcomed by us and we would work with you to reform and improve the European Union, so that it works better in the interests of all citizens”.

The intervention comes amid turmoil in Westminster over Brexit, with MPs set to reject the deal negotiated by the prime minister.

The only country whose MEPs all passed on signing the letter was Cyprus, the union’s third smallest member – but it otherwise draws signatories from every part of the continent.

“We have greatly appreciated the enormous impact British politicians and citizens have contributed to the European project over the last 40 years. We would miss the extraordinary expertise of our British colleagues,” the MEPs say, adding that they would support the withdrawal of Article 50.

“We ask you to reconsider to leave our union in the interest of the next generation of young people, British and Europeans, who will lose out on the opportunities of living, loving and working together. Brexit will weaken all of us. We want you to stay. Together, we are stronger and together we can build a stronger Europe.”

Notable MEPs on the list include Udo Bullmann, the leader of the socialist group in the parliament, and Philippe Lamberts, the Green group leader. It was also signed by Elmar Brok, the German MEP from Angela Merkel’s CDU group who sits on the parliament’s Brexit steering group.

It was put together by Josef Weidenholzer, from the Austrian centre-left SPOe.

British Liberal Democrat MEP Catherine Bearder said of the letter: “It’s touching to hear from so many MEPs, from so many countries and across the party divides that they value the Brits and want us to stay.

“They respect our decision, but have been clear all along: we are stronger when we work together inside the EU.”

The letter’s signatories are:

Maria Arena, S&D, Belgium

Laima Andrikiene, EPP, Lithuania

Petras Auštrevicius, ALDE, Lithuania

Wim van de Camp, EPP, Netherlands

Birgit Collin-Langen, EPP, Germany

Thierry Cornillet, ALDE, France

Clara Eugenia Aguilera García, S&D, Spain

Éric Andrieu, S&D, France

Margrete Auken, Greens, Denmark

Beatriz Becerra Basterrechea, ALDE, Spain

Brando Benifei, S&D, Italy

Pervenche Berès, S&D, France

Franc Bogovic, EPP, Slovenia

Michal Boni, EPP, Poland

Mercedes Bresso, S&D, Italy

Elmar Brok, EPP, Germany

Udo Bullmann, S&D, Germany

Rainer Bütikofer, Greens, Germany

Daniel Caspary, EPP, Germany

Silvia Costa, S&D, Italy

Mady Delvaux-Stehres, S&D, Luxembourg

Christian Ehler, EPP, Germany

Tanja Fajon, S&D, Slovenia

José Inácio Faria, EPP, Portugal

Fredrick Federley, ALDE, Sweden

Karl-Heinz Florenz, EPP, Germany

Eugen Freund, S&D, Austria

Michael Gahler, EPP, Germany

Evelyne Gebhardt, S&D, Germany

Stefan Gehrold, EPP, Germany

Jens Geier, S&D, Germany

Lidia Joanna Geringer de Oedenberg, S&D, Poland

Jens Gieseke, EPP, Germany

Ana Maria Gomes, S&D, Portugal

Maria Grapini, S&D, Romania

Karoline Graswander-Hainz, S&D, Austria

Ingeborg Gräßle, EPP, Germany

Enrique Guerrero Salom, S&D, Spain

Sylvie Guillaume, S&D, France

Marian Harkin, ALDE, Ireland

Rebecca Harms, Greens, Germany

Gunnar Hökmark, EPP, Sweden

Peter Jahr, EPP, Germany

Benedek Jávor, Greens, Hungary

Agnes Jongerius, S&D, Netherlands

Petra Kammerevert, S&D, Germany

Karin Kadenbach, S&D, Austria

Eva Kaili, S&D, Greece

Dietmar Köster, S&D, Germany

Jeppe Kofod, S&D, Denmark

Peter Kouroumbashev, S&D, Bulgaria

Andrej Kowatschew, EPP, Bulgaria

Constanze Krehl, S&D, Germany

Miapetra Kumpula-Natri, S&D, Finland

Miltiadis Kyrkos, S&D, Greece

Ilhan Kyuchyuk, ALDE, Bulgaria

Philippe Lamberts, Greens, Belgium

Werner Langen, EPP, Germany

Jo Leinen, S&D, Germany

Boguslaw Liberadzki, S&D, Poland

Peter Liese, EPP, Germany

Norbert Lins, EPP, Germany

Andrejs Mamikins, S&D, Latvia

Thomas Mann, EPP, Germany

Florent Marcellesi, Greens, Spain

António Marinho e Pinto, ALDE, Portugal

Gesine Meissner, ALDE, Germany

Tilly Metz, Greens, Luxembourg

Miroslavs Mitrofanovs, Greens, Latvia

Marlene Mizzi, S&D, Malta

Angelika Mlinar, ALDE, Austria

Csaba Molnár, S&D, Hungary

Momchil Nekov, S&D, Bulgaria

Norbert Neuser, S&D, Germany

Dan Nica, S&D, Romania

Angelika Niebler, EPP, Germany

Péter Niedermüller, S&D, Hungary

Ivari Padar, S&D, Estonia

Pier Antonio Panzeri, S&D, Italy

Emilian Pavel, S&D, Romania

Morten Helveg Petersen, ALDE, Denmark

Markus Pieper, EPP, Germany

Georgi Pirinski, S&D, Bulgaria

Pavel Poc, S&D, Czechia

Godelieve Quisthoudt-Rowohl, EPP, Germany

Dennis Radtke, EPP, Germany

Jozo Radoš, ALDE, Croatia

Evelyn Regner, S&D, Austria

Terry Reintke, Greens, Germany

Christine Revault d’Allonnes-Bonnefoy, S&D, France

Inmaculada Rodríguez-Piñero, S&D, Spain

Manuel dos Santos, S&D, Portugal

Judith Sargentini, Greens, Netherlands

Petri Sarvamaa, EPP, Finland

Elly Schlein, S&D, Italy

Sven Schulze, EPP, Germany

Joachim Schuster, S&D, Germany

Ricardo Serrão Santos, S&D, Portugal

Peter Simon, S&D, Germany

Davor Škrlec, Greens, Croatia

Monika Smolková, S&D, Slovakia

Bart Staes, Greens, Belgium

Sergei Stanishev, S&D, Bulgaria

Ivan Štefanec, EPP, Slovakia

Andreas Schwab, EPP, Germany

Renate Sommer, EPP, Germany

Tibor Szanyi, S&D, Hungary

Paul Tang, S&D, Netherlands

Róza Gräfin von Thun und Hohenstein, EPP, Poland

Isabelle Thomas, S&D, France

Yana Toom, ALDE, Estonia

Patrizia Toia, S&D, Italy

Tonino Picula, S&D, Croatia

Nils Torvalds, ALDE, Finland

Ramon Tremosa i Balcells, ALDE, Spain

Ernest Urtasun, Greens, Spain

Ivo Vajgl, ALDE, Slovenia

Monika Vana, Greens, Austria

Tom Vandenkendelaere, EPP, Belgium

Sophie in ’t Veld, ALDE, Netherlands

Sabine Verheyen, EPP, Germany

Renate Weber, ALDE, Romania

Josef Weidenholzer, S&D, Austria

Martina Werner, S&D, Germany

Cecilia Wikström, ALDE, Sweden

Anna Záborská, EPP, Slovakia

Boris Zala, S&D, Slovakia

Maria Gabriela Zoana, S&D, Romania

Carlos Zorrinho, S&D, Portugal

The full letter reads:

Dear citizens of the United Kingdom

As friends of your country, we are looking with growing anxiety at the unfolding of Brexit disaster that will be harmful for both Britain and Europe. We are reluctant to intervene in your domestic politics, but we cannot help but notice that the opinion polls show a growing number of voters who want an opportunity to re-consider the Brexit decision, now that it is clear that Brexit is very different to the promises made by the Leave campaign nearly three years ago.

Nevertheless we regret the decision made by the British people we understand the need to respect it. Leaving without a deal would be a disaster for everyone involved – UK and EU citizens alike. Any British decision to remain in the EU would be warmly welcomed by us and we would work with you to reform and improve the European Union, so that it works better in the interests of all citizens.

Indeed, should the UK decide to withdraw the article 50 letter received by the President of the European Council, then we as Members of the European Parliament would support it. We have greatly appreciated the enormous impact British politicians and citizens have contributed to the European project over the last 40 years. We would miss the extraordinary expertise of our British colleagues.

We ask you to reconsider to leave our Union in the interest of the next generation of young people, British and Europeans, who will lose out on the opportunities of living, loving and working together. Brexit will weaken all of us. We want you to stay. Together, we are stronger and together we can build a stronger Europe.