We, the undersigned peers and MPs, have a range of opinions on whether Catalonia should be independent or remain part of Spain (Report, 21 September). However, we all agree that the issue should be decided by the people of Catalonia in a democratic and peaceful way. We are extremely disturbed by the measures taken by the Spanish government to prevent the referendum, agreed to by the Catalan parliament, taking place on 1 October.

These measures include: taking to court 700 Catalan mayors for allowing preparations for the vote to go ahead, seizing campaign material and ballot papers, threatening to cut off power to polling stations, arresting and charging a newspaper editor accused of aiding the preparations for the referendum and banning a public meeting called in Madrid to discuss the issue. The Spanish government has now sent in the Civil Guard to occupy government buildings, with ministers and officials arrested, and has taken control of the Catalan government’s finances.

Both King Felipe and the prime minister of Spain, Mariano Rajoy, have publicly called on Catalans not to vote.

We believe, however, that the democratic way to proceed would be for opponents of Catalan independence to campaign for their position in the referendum. That was the stance of the UK government in respect of the Scottish independence referendum in September 2014.

This referendum was democratically agreed to by the Catalan parliament. To attempt to impede or stop it through sanctions, criminal charges and direct action by the Spanish state is an affront to democracy and threatens to embitter relations between Catalonia and the rest of Spain. We call on the Spanish government to allow this democratic test of Catalan opinion to go ahead without further hindrance.

Hywel Williams Plaid Cymru, chair of the all-party parliamentary group on Catalonia

Tony Berkeley Labour, House of Lords

Deidre Brock SNP

Douglas Chapman SNP

Joanna Cherry SNP

Ronnie Cowan SNP

Martin Docherty-Hughes SNP

Neil Gray SNP

Drew Hendry SNP

Ben Lake SNP

Chris Law SNP

Stewart McDonald SNP

Angus B MacNeil SNP

Carol Monaghan SNP

Gavin Newlands SNP

Chris Rennard Lib Dem, House of Lords

Andrew Rosindell Conservative

Tommy Sheppard SNP

Chris Stephens SNP

Martin Vickers SNP

Dafyyd Wigley Plaid Cymru, House of Lords

Patricia Gibson SNP



• As academics working in the fields of law, human rights, politics, sociology, history and related subjects in the UK and Ireland, we write to draw attention to the political repression that is being conducted by the Spanish government and national police to prevent the Catalan government holding a referendum on independence.

We support the demands by constitutional lawyers in Catalonia and Spain to cease all action disrupting the referendum there. Section 155 of the Spanish constitution states that the government can only compel an autonomous community (state or regional government) to carry out legal actions with the prior consent of a majority of the Spanish senate. No such vote has taken place.

We are concerned that the level of political repression in Catalonia is of a severity and arbitrary character not experienced since the Franco dictatorship. We demand that Spain immediately ceases the political repression in Catalonia and enables the people of Catalonia to be allowed to freely express their political views.

Dr Vickie Cooper Open University

Dr Robert Knox University of Liverpool

Dr Michelle Farrell University of Liverpool

Professor David Whyte University of Liverpool

Professor Imogen Tyler University of Lancaster

Professor Keith Ewing King’s College London

Professor Steve Tombs Open University

Professor Sian Moore University of Greenwich

Professor Penny Green Queen Mary, London

Professor Terry Eagleton University of Lancaster

Professor Andrew Watterson Stirling University

Professor Michael Lavalette Liverpool Hope University

Professor Hugo Radice University of Leeds

Professor Phil Scraton Queens University Belfast

Professor Paddy Ireland University of Bristol

Professor J Magnus Ryner King’s College London

Professor Tim Newburn London School of Economics

Professor Bill Bowring Birkbeck

Professor Joe Sim Liverpool John Moores University

Professor Sol Picciotto University of Lancaster

Professor Gilbert Achcar SOAS

Professor Miguel Martinez Lucio University of Manchester

Professor Vincenzo Ruggiero Middlesex University

Professor Tony Ward Northumbria University

Professor Paul Stewart Strathclyde University

Professor Ronnie Lippens Keele University

Professor Peter Willetts City University of London

Professor Gabe Mythen University of Liverpool

Professor Alex Law Abertay University

Professor Alfredo Saad Filho SOAS

Professor Benjamin Selwyn University of Sussex

Dr Andrew Henley Keele University

Dr John Reynolds Maynooth University

Dr Lynn Hancock University of Liverpool

Dr Paul O’Connell SOAS

Dr Rachel Seoighe Middlesex University

Dr Illan Rua Wall University of Warwick

Dr Jon Burnett Swansea University

Dr Monish Bhatia Birkbeck

Dr Tom Slater University of Edinburgh

Dr Niall Whelehan University of Strathclyde

Dr Kanchana N Ruwanpura University of Edinburgh

Dr Julia Downes Open University

Dr Adam Hanieh SOAS

Dr Joshua Curtis University of Liverpool

Dr Kathryn Chadwick Manchester Metropolitan University

Dr Jonathan Dean University of Leeds

Dr Paul Reynolds Edge Hill University

Dr Jeffery R Webber Queen Mary, London

Tor Krever University of Warwick

Dr Ashok Kumar Queen Mary, London

Dr Daniela Tepe-Belfrage University of Liverpool

Dr Chris Hesketh Oxford Brookes University

Dr Adam Fishwick De Montfort University

Dr Úna Barr Liverpool John Moores University

Dr Emily Luise Hart University of Liverpool

Caroline Metz University of Manchester

Dr Roberto Roccu King’s College London

Dr Samantha Weston Keele University

Dr Andrew Henley Keele University

Hannah R Wilkinson Keele University

Dr Andrew Davies University of Liverpool

Dr Alex Colas Birkbeck

Dr Ben Whitham De Montfort University

Dr Clare Frances Moran Edinburgh Napier University

Dr Ciaran Gillespie University of Surrey

Dr Cristina Delgado-García University of Birmingham

Dr David Pattie University of Birmingham

Dr Diana Miranda Keele University

Dr Elizabeth Cobbett University of East Anglia

Dr Emma L Briant University of Essex

Dr Feyzi Ismail SOAS

Dr Gregory Schwartz University of Bristol

Dr Grietje Baars The City Law School

Dr Hazel Cameron University of St Andrews

Dr Ian Mahoney Liverpool Hope University

Dr Ioannis Kalpouzos City University of London

Dr Jim Phillips University of Glasgow

Dr John Moore Newman University

Dr Juan Grigera University College London

Dr Lena Wånggren University of Edinburgh

Dr Lisa White University of Lincoln

Dr Louise Kowalska Ruskin College, Oxford

Dr Mark Hayes Solent University

Dr Mary Corcoran Keele University

Dr Matthew Donoghue University of Oxford

Dr Liam Campling Queen Mary, London

Dr Ian Bruff University of Manchester

Dr Michael Harrison University of South Wales

Dr Mike Gordon University of Liverpool

Dr Oscar Berglund University of Bristol

Dr Peter North University of Liverpool

Dr Phil Edwards Manchester Metropolitan University

Dr Rafeef Ziadah SOAS

Dr Richard Wild University of Greenwich

Dr Rizwaan Sabir Liverpool John Moores University

Dr Rumyana Grozdanova University of Liverpool

Dr Shane Darcy National University of Ireland, Galway

Dr Sofa Gradin King’s College London

Dr Stephen Bowman University of the Highlands and Islands

Dr TJ Coles University of Plymouth

Dr Will Jackson Liverpool John Moores University

Michael Philip Bridgewater Newcastle University

Jack Copley University of Warwick

Dr Lindsey Metcalf Liverpool John Moores University

Dr Féilim Ó hAdhmaill University College, Cork

Dr Camille Stengel London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Dr Ewan Gibbs University of the West of Scotland

Dr Bertie Russell University of Sheffield Urban Institute

Dr Lisa Tilley Queen Mary, London

Dr Aoife Daly University of Liverpool

Dr Gareth Dale Brunel University

Dr Thomas MacManus Queen Mary, London

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