Universal Music UK CEO David Joseph and Beggars Group founder Martin Mills have issued a joint letter urging UK residents to vote Remain in the EU referendum taking place this Thursday.
Music Business Worldwide reports that the bosses joined forces for a letter aimed at staff and peers which warned that “a victory for Brexit would be economically, politically, socially and culturally disastrous – for all of us.”
This is a rare instance where Mills – founder of one of the biggest independent umbrella labels in the world – has aligned with a major label. It follows reports that he emailed his staff reminding them that the referendum clashes with Glastonbury Festival, encouraging them to find a way to vote.
Joseph had already shown his support for the Remain campaign by signing an open letter urging the public to remain in the EU.
Check out their letter in full below.
“Good morning. This may be your last Tuesday morning in Europe.
Forgive the simplistic statement – the important message is that the opinion polls now indicate that Thursday’s vote could take us on a one-way road OUT of Europe.
First and foremost we are writing to urge you to vote on Thursday, but also to consider all of the issues carefully. We believe a victory for Brexit would be economically, politically, socially and culturally disastrous – for all of us.
Many of you will be travelling to Glastonbury on Thursday, the day of the vote. To us, Glastonbury embodies the inclusiveness that a Brexit vote seeks to reject.
No-one thinks the EU is perfect. It’s undeniably flawed. But when your family is imperfect, you don’t abandon it – you stay with it, and seek to make it better. That’s what we need to do here.
We’re not going to rehearse the arguments. They’re in all the media. This is what The Economist says.
Those economic arguments make even more sense for the creative industries. But this isn’t just about business. Music is all about collaboration, embracing and respecting other cultures. A collective mindset which we want to preserve, and one which feels at odds with Brexit, a campaign born of populism and the instinct to pull up the drawbridge.
We wanted to share how we felt ahead of Thursday’s vote, and what we strongly believe is in the best interests of our companies and artists.
We know not everyone shares our views. All we ask is that you have your say in a referendum which is of fundamental importance to all our futures, and undoubtedly too close to call.”
