All the US Big-Wigs and Banks Telling Britain to Stay in the EU

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By Kieran Corcoran | 3:29 am, May 13, 2016

Britain’s EU referendum campaign is in full flow – and the US establishment is keen to let British voters know what’s what.

Despite impassioned pleas to leave Britain to choose by itself, almost 30 US grandees have seen fit to intervene.

With the exceptions of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, every figure came out for the EU, sparking cynicism about their motives and fury from Out campaigners.

Here’s the cash and carping from across the pond:

Presidents

Barack Obama

The most controversial intervention came from the guy up top, who warned Britain would be at “the back of the queue” for a US trade deal.

MORE: These US politico are wrong on Brexit

The hardball speech did little to move the opinion polls, and spawned the #FuckOffObama Twitter trend.

Bill Clinton

The former president is due on the anti-Brexit campaign trail ahead of the June 23rd vote – and is set to join compatriot Tony Blair to convince Britain to stay.

Bill Clinton and Tony Blair Faith Foundation
Bill Clinton is due to unite with Tony Blair over Brexit

Almost-Presidents

Hillary Clinton

Hillary was quick to weigh in once Obama set the precedent, basically parroting exactly what he said. Why might she be doing that?

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks during a event named as "victory rally for $15 minimum wage and paid family leave" at the Javitz Center in New York on April 4,2016. / AFP / KENA BETANCUR (Photo credit should read KENA BETANCUR/AFP/Getty Images)
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton

Banks

Their CEOs haven’t said it, because they don’t need to. But the powers that be are making their voices heard with their checkbooks.

While chickenfeed in the US, the six-figure slabs throw the way of Britain’s remain campaign have huge influence across the pond.

MORE: Four horsemen of the apocalypse deployed against Brexit

Goldman Sachs is the highest-profile, giving some £500,000 early on in the campaign.

JP Morgan is thought to have done the same.

And this week, British election bosses named Morgan Stanley, CitiGroup and Bloomberg as major donors, who have contributed £250,000 each.

Secretaries of State

John Kerry

The Secretary of State first encouraged an In vote in February, and repeated himself this week in an address to the Oxford Union.

Madeleine Albright

The Clinton-era Secretary of State was among government figures who expressed their dismay at the prospect of Brexit this week.

In a letter to The Times of London – the preferred weapon of the Remain campaign – Albright said it was her “duty” to make her views known.

David Miliband poses at an IRC event this September with Madeleine Albright and UN official Kang Kyung-wha
David Miliband poses at an IRC event this September with Madeleine Albright and UN official
Kang Kyung-wha

George Shultz

Schultz has double-dipped in the open letter pot, signing this week’s missive to the Times alongside Albright. It was his second pass at the table after signing a separate missive last month.

Treasury Secretaries

Michael Blumenthal

Jimmy Carter’s Secretary of the Treasury was one of the first over the top, helping to pen a Times letter in which Britain was told not to “take for granted” its economic strength should it leave.

He was joined by:

Robert Rubin and Lawrence Summers (Clinton era)

Paul O’Neill, John Snow and Henry Paulson (George W Bush era)

Timothy Geithner (Obama era)

MORE: Winston Churchill would have been for Brexit

Defense Secretaries

Also weighing in on Albright’s letter to The Times were former Pentagon chiefs, who jointly said that “the UK would suffer” and be “diminished” by uncoupling itself from Brussels.

Leon Panetta was among the signatories, along with a gang of forebears:

Robert M Gates (W Bush and Obama era)

William S Cohen and William Perry (Clinton era)

Frank Carlucci (Reagan era)

The last contingent, included as ballast for their more influential bosses, round out numbers if nothing else:

Thomas E Donilon and James Jones Jr (Obama)

Stephen J Hadley (Bush)

Brent Scowcroft (HW Bush)

Richard V Allen (Reagan)

Zbigniew Brzezinski (Carter)

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