[BREXIT]: BRITISH POLITICS: A good multiple signed First Day Cover issued to commemorate the Direct Elections to European Parliament and featuring an attractive colour design incorporating images of the Palais de l'Europe at Strasbourg and the Palace of Westminster in London, bearing four different British postage stamps honouring the European Assembly Elections and post marked at London for the first British European Parliamentary Elections, 9th May 1979. The cover is individually signed by fourteen British political figures, five of them former Prime Ministers, comprising -

Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013) British Prime Minister 1979-90 who, despite her views on the European Community, initiated Great Britain's membership of the European Union by reluctantly joining the Exchange Rate Mechanism in 1990.

John Major (1943- ) British Prime Minister 1990-97 who, on taking office, had promised to keep Great Britain 'at the very heart of Europe' and claimed to have won 'game, set and match for Britain' by negotiating various opt-outs from the Maastricht Treaty (1992).

Tony Blair (1953- ) British Prime Minister 1997-2007 who won a landslide victory with his 'New Labour' party in 1997, aided by the unpopularity of Major's conservative government (itself deeply divided over the European Union).

Gordon Brown (1951- ) British Prime Minister 2007-10 who, in 1997, as Chancellor of the Exchequer, had taken control of the United Kingdom's membership of the European single currency issue by announcing the Treasury would set five economic tests to ascertain whether the economic case had been made. In 2003 the Treasury indicated the tests had not been passed.

David Cameron (1966- ) British Prime Minister 2010-16 who introduced a referendum on the United Kingdom's continuing membership of the European Union. In the referendum of 23rd June 2016 the British electorate voted in favour of leaving the European Union ('Brexit') and in the wake of the results Cameron announced his intention to resign as Prime Minister.

William Hague (1961- ) British Politician, Leader of the Conservative Party 1997-2001. Hague led the Conservatives to a successful result at the European parliamentary elections in June 1999 and his opposition to the single European currency was later vindicated by Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown's adoption and subsequent approval of the policy.

Iain Duncan Smith (1954- ) British Politician, Leader of the Conservative Party 2001-03. A committed Eurosceptic, Duncan Smith was a constant thorn in the side of Prime Minister John Major's government from 1992-97, opposing Major's pro-European agenda.

Michael Howard (1941- ) British Politician, Leader of the Conservative Party 2003-05. In the 1970s Howard was a leading advocate of British membership of the Common Market (EEC) but later in his career became a Eurosceptic.

Neil Kinnock (1942- ) British Politician, Leader of the Labour Party 1983-92. Kinnock accepted membership in the European Community, whereas the Labour Party had pledged withdrawal from it under former leader Michael Foot. Kinnock went on to become a European Commissioner and served as Vice-President of the European Commission from 1999-2004.

David Steel (1938- ) British Politician, Leader of the Liberal Party 1976-88 and of the Liberal Democrats March-July 1988. In 1989 Steel accepted an invitation from the Italian Liberals to stand for the European Parliament as a Pan-European gesture. Although not elected, he polled very well.

Paddy Ashdown (1941- ) British Politician, Leader of the Liberal Democrats 1988-99. In July 2016 he founded More United in response to the result of the referendum on the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union.

Charles Kennedy (1959-2015) British Politician, Leader of the Liberal Democrats 1999-2006. On constitutional reform Kennedy was a long-term supporter of full home rule for Scotland within a federal United Kingdom within a federal Europe.

Menzies Campbell (1941- ) British Politician, Leader of the Liberal Democrats 2006-07. Campbell has been a supporter of the European Union, but argued that it must reform to become more democratic.

Nick Clegg (1967- ) British Politician, Leader of the Liberal Democrats 2007-15. Deputy Prime Minister in the Cameron coalition ministry 2010-15. A former member of the European Parliament, Charles Kennedy promoted Clegg to be the Liberal Democrat's spokesperson on Europe, focusing on the party's preparations for an expected referendum on the European constitution.

All have signed the cover in different coloured inks, each with their names alone and to clear areas. An unusual selection of signatures by various British politicians, all of whom have had, to a greater or lesser extent, an influence on the United Kingdom's role within Europe from 1979 to the present day. A couple of very slight, minor corner creases, VG

In June 2016, the British electorate participated in a referendum in which 52% of votes were cast in favour of leaving the European Union. Although the United Kingdom currently remains a full member of the EU, the present Prime Minister Theresa May has indicated that she will invoke Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, the formal procedure for withdrawing, by the end of March 2017, putting the United Kingdom on course to leave the EU by the end of March 2019.