With less than a month to go and the polls presenting a very mixed view, the EU Referendum is a hot topic.
Not, as Rafael Behr, one of the panellists for the talk points out, that we can trust the polls. The evening’s panel consists of four Guardian columnists, led by Polly Toynbee and naturally they’re a left-leaning group, but it’s interesting to see that unlike in the election debate, there’s no party-based consensus.
The same can be said about the assembled audience: though the majority will be voting to remain, there’s a solid minority who will be voting to leave.
With Natalie Nougayrède offering a viewpoint representing France and the wider EU, it’s clear that the European perspective is that a Brexit would weaken structures and reduce global leverage for all countries involved, and at a time when most of Europe is focusing on the refugee and migrant crisis and international terrorism, the decision to even hold a referendum is being met with bafflement.
Larry Elliott explained that a Brexit would, in the short-term at least, damage the UK and EU economies, but put forward a more varied view long-term.
Other questions involved the success of the Euro, state spending, immigration, Boris Johnson’s secret plans and the effectiveness of referendums in general.
Will either outcome in June end the debate? As Polly Toynbee concluded, probably not.
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