Thursday 17 March 2016 9:41 am

EU referendum: British politicians write open letter to President Barack Obama urging him against intervention

A group of cross party MPs have written an open letter to President Barack Obama to tell him to stay out of the EU debate.

Five MPs and MEP Nigel Farage have written to the president in a personal appeal, calling on him to refrain from entering the EU debate when he visits the UK.

The President is visiting the UK next month, the White House announced yesterday, where he is widely expected to make the case for the UK's continued membership in the EU.

"With so much at stake, it is imperative that the question of exiting the European Union is not one answered by foreign politicians or outside interests, but rather by the British people who must ultimately live with change or the status quo," the letter said.

The British politicians declared that "issues of national sovereignty must be decided exclusively by the people of the United Kingdom" and suggested "even a passive diplomatic recommendation in the matter of our national decision will receive the opposite of the intended effect."

"The referendum vote is an act of democracy in its most direct form, and the question of whether or not to leave the EU is a rare political topic that is not owned by any one political party. This is a chance for the British people to choose the path of their country. Interfering in our debate over national sovereignty would be an unfortunate milestone at the end of your term as President."

The letter comes after Mayor of London Boris Johnson launched a scathing attack on the anticipated intervention, labelling it "outrageous hypocrisy".

Last year Obama urged the UK to vote to remain in the EU if it wants to continue to have influence on the world stage.

One of Obama's top officials, secretary of state John Kerry, has also argued that the US has a "profound interest in a strong UK staying in a very strong EU".