UK lawmakers warn Obama against partaking in Brexit debate
US President Barack Obama has been warned by UK lawmakers favoring the UK’s exit from the European Union (EU) against participating in the debate over the issue prior to his visit to Britain scheduled for next month.
In an open letter on Thursday, a group of British parliament members stated that interfering in the debate about whether Britain should or should not remain in the EU would mark an “unfortunate milestone” in Obama’s presidency.
“It is imperative that the question of exiting the European Union is not one answered by foreign politicians or outside interests, but rather by the British people who must ultimately live with change or the status quo,” the signatories of the letter said.
“While it is understandable that a sitting US president feels the obligation to speak in the interest of the United States, it must be advised that even a passive diplomatic recommendation in the matter of our national decision will receive the opposite of the intended effect,” they added.
Obama will travel to Britain in April as part of a tour that is likely to be his last before his term in office ends in January 2017.
The UK lawmakers said that Britain could “thrive” outside the EU by being free to operate without tariffs and trade restrictions while having sovereignty over its affairs and control over its borders.
On June 23, British voters will go to the polls in a referendum to decide whether to leave the 28-nation bloc or stay in it, a debate that has intensified since the 2015 general elections in the UK.
Recent opinion polls so far have suggested that UK voters remain sharply divided on the matter.
British Prime Minister David Cameron is leading the battle to keep the country in the EU.
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