Praise for EU

Celebrities Back Europe

"Culturally, economically and politically, Britain and the British people have gained greatly from membership of the EU," they said in a joint letter to the Independent newspaper.

The celebrities include the Eurovision Song Contest winners Katrina and the Waves, the comedian Eddie Izzard, the actor Richard Wilson and the film critic Barry Norman.

"We believe that to turn our backs on Europe now would be to set our faces against both the lessons of history and the best prospects for our future," said the letter.

Letter: "Jobs depend on Europe"

They say most business people and politicians "know that Britain's future prosperity can only be secured as a full and enthusiastic member of the EU". Millions of jobs depend on Britain's close European links, they said.

"No one should forget what came before the EU. It has risen from the ashes of a continent devastated by the worst conflicts in our history. Since then, the EU has helped heal the wounds of war and introduced a new era of peace, cooperation and prosperity," insisted the celebrities. "Britain's future does indeed lie at the heart of Europe."

The other signatories were film-maker Sir David Puttnam, designer and restaurateur Sir Terence Conran, crime writers Frances Fyfield and Minette Walters, musician Howard Goodall, culture guru Michael Ignatieff, arts patron Sir Evelyn de Rothschild, and ranconteur, actor and writer Sir Peter Ustinov.