British cultural stars sign 250-strong letter backing membership of EU – so what?

Last Updated: May 20, 2016By
Clockwise from top-left: Benedict Cumberbatch, Paloma Faith, Danny Boyle, Helena Bonham Carter, Dominic West and Sam Taylor-Johnson, who are among the signatories [Composite: Getty, Rex, PA].

Clockwise from top-left: Benedict Cumberbatch, Paloma Faith, Danny Boyle, Helena Bonham Carter, Dominic West and Sam Taylor-Johnson, who are among the signatories [Composite: Getty, Rex, PA].

Who cares?

This Writer gets the impression that this letter – and the news story it has generated – was created purely to influence the weak-minded.

Perhaps the idea was to combat ignorant claims that a ‘Remain’ vote is a vote in support of David Cameron; now you can say it’s a vote in support of Benedict Cumberbatch or Danny Boyle or Paloma Faith instead.

But it shouldn’t matter who supports which side. Why would anybody in their right mind let that influence their decision?

This Writer hopes Vox Political readers will consider the issues, not the personalities supporting them, when they come to cast their votes.

Benedict Cumberbatch and Paloma Faith are among more than 250 of Britain’s best-known actors, artists, musicians and writers warning that if Britain were to leave the European Union it would become “an outsider shouting from the wings”.

Source: Benedict Cumberbatch and Paloma Faith among 250 stars backing EU | Politics | The Guardian

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12 Comments

  1. Califi May 20, 2016 at 12:33 pm - Reply

    Maybe I’m weak, but I do wonder what made IDS, MG & PP go for Brexit. (BJ obviously wanting to be PM) If anything sways me to vote to remain, it will be these awful MPs.

    • Mike Sivier May 20, 2016 at 1:52 pm - Reply

      It seems to me that you made up your mind before knowing which way they were going, hence your reaction to their decisions.

  2. Stevie May 20, 2016 at 1:45 pm - Reply

    300 Businessmen versus 250 Luvvies.

    https://www.byline.com/column/11/article/1046

    Hmmm who should we believe?

    • Mike Sivier May 20, 2016 at 1:49 pm - Reply

      We should make up our own minds.

    • Tim May 21, 2016 at 6:28 am - Reply

      You mean 300 obscure and unknown businessmen (many of whom are against the minimum wage and want tax cuts for the top 1% and welfare cuts for the rest) versus 250 popular, talented and well-liked people. Yep. I wonder who the man (or woman) on the street would be most likely to be persuaded by.

      • Cocky May 21, 2016 at 11:21 am - Reply

        I reckon so. When the X-Factor is on more people vote for their favourites, paying to do so, than vote in general elections. So I think Sherlock Holmes probably will make more of a splash than some grey suited business person.

        I wonder why the Brexiters seem to have no attractive, popular and talented people to give their campaign a boost? Doesn’t anybody like that want to come forward and nail their colours to the “Vote Leave” mast?

        Funny ain’t it?

  3. Stevie May 20, 2016 at 2:37 pm - Reply

    Mike,

    With the greatest of respect, you publishing this trite letter from 250 luvvies, and Byline rubbishing the Brexit letter adds zero sum to the argument either way.

    The main problem with this whole conservative party internecine warfare, is the single lack of any verifiable fact from either set of swivel eyed loons. So I did some research myself and found this little nugget written:

    http://www.robert-schuman.eu/en/doc/questions-d-europe/qe-355-en.pdf

    That one paper will refute the single main argument of the Brexit loons, we will easily be able to renegotiate new treaties.

    So yes Mike, I have made my mind up.

    • Mike Sivier May 20, 2016 at 3:47 pm - Reply

      With the greatest of respect, did you not see the “So what?” in the headline?
      The whole point of the article was that these attempts to sway people, by showing them the names of others who have made a choice, should be meaningless and people should make up their own minds based on the evidence they see – as you clearly have.
      Please don’t misunderstand what I was doing – and don’t misrepresent it either.

  4. hayfords May 20, 2016 at 5:15 pm - Reply

    I suppose that a gaggle of actor celebs is akin to Charlotte Church et al supporting Corbyn. In other words celeb endorsement in politics is fairly worthless as the topic is not their forte or their domain. Perhaps some politicians could give advice to actors and singers.

    • Mike Sivier May 20, 2016 at 5:42 pm - Reply

      Indeed, although everybody should take control of their political life, whereas acting and singing at a professional level requires a degree of training and discipline.
      Incidentally, Charlotte Church has said she leans more towards Plaid Cymru.

    • Cocky May 21, 2016 at 11:31 am - Reply

      I don’t know about the singing but most politicians these days seem very actor to me, possibly because of cameras scrutinising their activities in parliament. Cameron is particularly hammy reminding me of the late Rik Mayall at his Flashman worst.

  5. Cocky May 21, 2016 at 11:27 am - Reply

    I have a question: After the EU referendum, whichever way it goes, how will the Tory party have a hope in hell to reunify under Cameron, or, in point of fact, ever be able to be anything like it was when it won the last two elections? People used to joke that the Conservative secret weapon was the loyalty of its members. If that’s gone forever what next for the Tories?

    “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Abraham Lincoln

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