Spain and the Catalan referendum | Letters

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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