Other famous names included Sir Bruce Forsyth, Dame Vera Lynn, Professor Stephen Hawking, Sir Michael Parkinson, Barbara Windsor and Ray WinstonGetty
Showbiz royalty, film stars and Olympic heroes issued a passionate plea for Scotland to stay in the UK today.
More than 200 celebrities and public figures - including Sir Mick Jagger, Dame Judi Dench, Simon Cowell and Sir Steve Redgrave - signed an open letter urging Scotland to vote no in next month’s referendum.
Organiser, TV historian Dan Snow, said it was the “most extraordinary list that has ever been compiled in modern British political history.”
Other famous names included Sir Bruce Forsyth, Dame Vera Lynn, Professor Stephen Hawking, Sir Michael Parkinson, Barbara Windsor and Ray Winstone as well as sporting heroes, Sir Ben Ainslie, Tom Daley and Ian Rush.
The declaration was also signed by Hollywood stars Helena Bonham-Carter, Sir Patrick Stewart and Ray Winstone, comedians David Walliams, Steve Coogan, Ronnie Corbett and Eddie Izzard and musicians Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sting and Sir Cliff Richard.
In a message to the Scots ahead of the crunch independence vote on September 18, they wrote: “The decision on whether to leave our shared country is, of course, absolutely yours alone.
“Nevertheless, that decision will have a huge effect on all of us in the rest of the United Kingdom.
“We want to let you know how very much we value our bonds of citizenship with you, and to express our hope that you will vote to renew them."
“What unites us is much greater than what divides us. Let’s stay together.”
Organisers said the list of supporters included Oscar and Grammy winners, 11 professors, a Nobel prize winner, 19 knights and 11 peers.
Mr Snow said all of the celebrities who have signed the letter were unable to vote in the referendum but wanted to send a message to the Scottish that they wanted them to stay.
“You’ve got Mick Jagger, Judi Dench, Steve Redgrave, Simon Cowell, David Walliams, Dame Vera Lynn, these people have found out about it and got in touch with us.
“People are keen to sign and they’re from every political background, they’re from every social background because down here in the rest of the UK we feel really strongly that we hope they stay.
“But we don’t want to bully them, we’re not telling them how to vote, we just hope they stay,” he said.
Apprentice star, Lord Sugar, who has signed the letter, said: “It’s for Scotland to decide how to vote but it has consequences for all of us. That’s why so many of us have come together to say: let’s stay together. We’ve achieved so much together and I know we can achieve so much more.”
TV’s Ben Fogle, another signatory, added: “The reason I wanted to sign this letter is I’m not allowed a vote, but I’m allowed an opinion. That’s part of living in a democracy.
“It’s not about swaying votes or trying to change opinion. All we want is to let everyone up in Scotland know how we feel. I genuinely feel we are better together.”
A spokesman for Yes Scotland said: “It’s great to know that Scotland has so many friends and admirers, and we know they will all continue to be our friends and admirers after we vote ‘Yes’ on September 18.
“We’re sure that everyone who genuinely has Scotland’s interests at heart will be delighted in future years to see a fairer and more prosperous Scotland emerge using the great opportunities of independence to grow our economy and make an even bigger contribution on the global stage.”
The latest polls on the Scottish referendum have put the No campaign comfortably ahead of the nationalist Yes to independence group.
A survey by IpsosMori this week found 54% wanted to stay in the UK to 40% for independence and 7% don’t know.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/scottish-independence-referendum-simon-cowell-4021134#ixzz39jEFrWMP
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