David Attenborough, Patrick Stewart and, erm, Will Carling among 200 dignitaries to sign open letter against Scottish Independence

The musician, music mogul and naturalist are just three of more than 200 people from the public sphere in support of the

Jenn Selby
Thursday 07 August 2014 13:12 BST
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(Getty Images)

Sir David Attenborough, Sir Patrick Stewart and Simon Cowell are among the household names urging Scotland to “vote no” in the referendum on Scottish Independence on 18 September.

The naturalist, actor and music mogul are just three of more than 200 people from the public sphere who have signed an open letter in support of the Let's Stay Together campaign, which aims to save the union and convince Scotland to stay with the United Kingdom.

Other big names appearing on the list include Sir Mick Jagger, David Walliams, Sting, Bryan Ferry, David Gilmour, Sir Cliff Richards, Richard Dawkins, Michael Douglas and Stephen Hawking.

As do slightly more random blasts from the past, former England rugby captain Will Carling, Team GB decathalete Daley Thompson and TV gardener Alan Titchmarsh.

"The decision on whether to leave our shared country is, of course, absolutely yours alone," the letter reads.

"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."

"It's for Scotland to decide how to vote but it has consequences for all of us," Lord Alan Sugar, who also signed the letter, said of the Let’s Stay Together campaign.

"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."

The letter is set to take a trip around the country in the coming week, during which members of the public will be urged to add their names.

The full list is as follows:

David Aaronovitch/ Jenny Agutter/ Sir Ben Ainslie/ Kriss Akabusi/ Roger Allam/ Kirstie Allsop/ Alexander Armstrong/ Sir David Attenborough/ Steve Backley/ Baroness Joan Bakewell/ Frances Barber/Andy Barrow/ John Barrowman/ Mike Batt/ Glen Baxter/ Stanley Baxter/ Martin Bayfield/ Mary Beard/ Sarah Beeny/Antony Beevor/Angellica Bell/ Dickie Bird/ Cilla Black/ Graeme Black/ Roger Black/ Malorie Blackman/ Ranjit Bolt/ Helena Bonham-Carter/ Alain de Botton/ William Boyd/ Tracey Brabin/ Lord Melvyn Bragg/ Jo Brand/ Gyles Brandreth/ Rob Brydon/ Louisa Buck/ Simon Callow/ Will Carling/ Paul Cartledge/ Guy Chambers/ Nick Cohen/ Michelle Collins/ Colonel Tim Collins/ Olivia Colman/ Charlie Condou/ Susannah Constantine/ Steve Coogan/ Dominic Cooper/ Ronnie Corbett/ Simon Cowell/ Jason Cowley/ Sara Cox/ Amanda Craig/ Steve Cram/ Richard Curtis/ Tom Daley/ William Dalrymple/ Richard Dawkins/ Dame Judi Dench/ Jeremy Deller/ Lord Michael Dobbs/ Jimmy Doherty/ Michael Douglas/Simon Easterby/ Gareth Edwards/ Jonathan Edwards/ Tracey Emin/ Sebastian Faulks/ Bryan Ferry/ Ranulph Fiennes/ Ben Fogle/ Amanda Foreman/ Sir Bruce Forsyth/ Neil Fox/ Emma Freud/ Bernard Gallacher/ Kirsty Gallacher/ George Galloway/ Sir John Eliot Gardiner/ Bamber Gascoigne/ David Gilmour/ Harvey Goldsmith/ David Goodhart/ Lachlan Goudie/ David Gower/ AC Grayling/ Will Greenwood/ Tamsin Greig/ Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson/ Lord Charles Guthrie/ Haydn Gwynne/ Maggi Hambling/ Mehdi Hasan/ Sir Max Hastings/ Stephen Hawking/ Peter Hennessy/ James Holland/ Tom Holland/ Tom Hollander/ Gloria Hunniford/ Conn Iggulden/ John Illsley/ Brendan Ingle/ Eddie Izzard/ Betty Jackson/ Sir Mike Jackson/ Howard Jacobson/ Sir Mick Jagger/ Baroness PD James/ Griff Rhys Jones/ Terry Jones/ Christopher Kane/ Sir Anish Kapoor/ Ross Kemp/ Paul Kenny/ Jemima Khan/ India Knight/ Martha Lane Fox/ Baroness Doreen Lawrence/ Tory Lawrence/ Kathy Lette/ Rod Liddle/ Louise Linton/ John Lloyd (journalist)/ John Lloyd (producer)/ Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber/ Gabby Logan/ Kenny Logan/ Sarah Lucas/ Dame Vera Lynn/ James May/ Margaret MacMillan/ Stephen Mangan/ Davina McCall/ Sir Ian McGeechan/ Heather McGregor/ Andy McNab/ John Michie/ David Mitchell/ Lord John Monks/ Lewis Moody/ Michael Morpurgo/ Bill Morris/ David Morrissey/ Philip Mould/ Al Murray/ Sir Paul Nurse/ Andy Nyman/ Peter Oborne/ Sir Michael Parkinson/ Fiona Phillips/ Andy Puddicombe/ Lord David Puttnam/ Anita Rani/ Esther Rantzen/ Sir Steve Redgrave/ Derek Redmond/ Pete Reed/ Lord Martin Rees/ Peter Reid/ Baroness Ruth Rendell/ Sir Cliff Richard/ Hugo Rifkind/ Sir Tony Robinson/ David Rowntree/ Ian Rush/ Greg Rutherford/ CJ Sansom/ June Sarpong/ Simon Schama/ John Sessions/ Sandie Shaw/ Helen Skelton/ Sir Tim Smit/ Dan Snow/ Peter Snow/ Phil Spencer/ David Starkey/Sir Patrick Stewart/ Lord Jock Stirrup/ Neil Stuke/ Sting/ Tallia Storm/ David Suchet/ Alan Sugar/ Graeme Swann/ Stella Tennant/ Daley Thompson/ Alan Titchmarsh/ James Timpson/ Kevin Toolis/ Lynne Truss/ Gavin Turk/ Roger Uttley/ David Walliams/ Zoë Wanamaker/ Robert Webb/ Richard Wentworth/ Sir Alan West/ Dominic West/ Kevin Whateley

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