FOUR former Worcester parliamentary candidates have united to pen a passionate open letter backing the EU - saying Brexit would "damage our city".

Conservative MP Robin Walker has teamed up with Labour's Joy Squires, Green Louis Stephen and Lib Dem Federica Smith to call the Leave campaign's proposals "un-costed and unworkable".

The quartet, who bitterly opposed each other at least year's general election, secured more than 75 per cent of the 49,723 votes cast and 13 months ago and say they have united as they "all share the same view" over staying in the bloc.

It comes after Tories Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and Priti Patel revealed their own Leave 'blueprint' of what would happen after Brexit.

In the letter, they write: "As candidates from different parties who together won more than three quarters of the votes cast in the 2015 General Election in Worcester, we all share the view that Worcester is safer, more secure and better off remaining in the EU.

"We're concerned the Vote Leave campaign are bringing forward un-costed and unworkable proposals that will damage our country and our city, by taking us out of the single market upon which so many jobs depend.

"Major employers, large and small businesses, the university, Heart of Worcestershire College, the Bishop and the Dean have all come out in favour of remaining in the EU. "They and we believe that leaving will be bad for Worcester.

"It's simply not good enough to pretend to the British people that they can vote leave and there would not be profound economic, environmental and social consequences that would negatively affect us all.

"Britain is part of an interconnected world with a healthy international trade in goods and services.

"By agreeing to common standards between different countries in the EU we can ensure that there is not a race to the bottom on pollution, animal welfare and workers’ rights.

"In contrast to much of the first half of the 20th century, since joining the EU, there have been no wars between member states - cultural and economic ties between neighbouring countries have helped to keep the peace."

The letter also said that although the four parties have "a different vision" for how they would like the EU to change, they all want Britain to be a force in it.

It also signs off by making clear how their views differ from UKIP, and its push for Brexit.

Last year UKIP stood former branch chairman James Goad in Worcester, who finished third with 6,378 behind the Conservatives and Labour.

This week Brexit campaigners claimed leaving the EU could allow the Government to spend an extra £100m a week on the NHS by 2020.