Gordon Brown warns UK not to become “bit-part player” by leaving EU

Gordon Brown has today weighed in on the debate around EU membership, arguing that the UK should not make itself a “bit-part player” on the world stage.

In a speech in Edinburgh this afternoon, the former Labour Prime Minister says he hopes Scotland will vote to stay in Europe by as big a margin 70% to 30%.

This comes as the Stronger In campaign reveal a new online video attacking the splits in opinion among those supporting a Leave vote, and YouGov publish a new analysis into the referendum’s divides.

Brown said:

“I believe we can do much better in 2016, and if we put forward a positive, principled and progressive case, we can win 70 per cent for versus 30 against.

We must start this debate from the needs and aspirations of Britain’s working families – not institutions and constitutions – and make the case for exactly what kind of country we want to be.

This referendum should be about jobs, security and the future prospects of our young.

We must be positive by showing, as the research from the Centre for Economics and Business states, that up to 300,000 Scottish jobs are linked to membership of the European Union and 20,000 Scottish businesses trade with mainland Europe.

What’s more is that 1,000 Europe-owned businesses are Scots employers, and 46 per cent of Scots international exports go to Europe.

We must be principled showing we do best not just as members of Europe but as leaders of Europe.”

Brown, whose intervention in the Scottish independence referendum was considered influential, also warned against the UK sidelining itself by opting to leave the EU: