Tonight’s EU Your Choice debate began with ten minute presentations from the four GB political panellists before moving into a Q&A. The full event was live-streamed and should soon be available to replay.
- Kate Hoey (Labour MP) – leave
- Vernon Coaker (Labour MP) – remain
- Owen Paterson (Conservative MP) – leave
- John Stevens (former Conservative MEP) – remain
The panel was co-chaired by Quadriga Consulting’s Jeffrey Peel and Danske Bank Economist Angela McGowan, making it an interesting format given their differing voting intentions!
There were arguments from the heart as well as from the head. There was talk of competing visions, contradictory facts and figures, scare stories swept away (on both sides). One of the more memorable lines was when Owen Paterson assured the audience that the morning after Brexit it would not be a case of “dragons are going to come up the Lough and mice will come out of the taps”!
Having covered six or more EU Referendum debates over the last few months, this was the first in which I’ve heard Leave campaigners who were more logical and reasoned in their arguments than those speaking in favour of Remaining. [Ed – they’re wearing you down!]
Ipsos MORI’s polling app was used to determine the level of innies and outies amongst the in-room and online audience. By the end of the night, there was a swing (in terms of what was in the best interests of the UK) from remaining to leaving the EU.
Alan Meban. Tweets as @alaninbelfast. Blogs about cinema and theatre over at Alan in Belfast. A freelancer who writes about, reports from, live-tweets and live-streams civic, academic and political events and conferences. He delivers social media training/coaching; produces podcasts and radio programmes; is a FactCheckNI director; a member of Ofcom’s Advisory Committee for Northern Ireland; and a member of the Corrymeela Community.
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