YOUNGSTERS in Malvern discussed the pros and cons of staying and exiting the European Union during a public debate over the weekend.
Sixth-form students from The Chase School hosted the debate at Lansdowne Crescent Methodist Church on Saturday evening.
The panel was made up of Aidan Johnston and Abby Morris who presented the case to remain in the EU and Charlotte Anthony and Joe Brady stated the case to exit the EU.
The debate followed an announcement last month by Prime Minister David Cameron that a referendum will be held on June 23 for the British public to decide on the country’s future links with the EU.
As reported in the Observer, Malvern MP Harriett Baldwin and Ledbury MP Bill Wiggin have divided opinions on the EU with Mrs Baldwin supporting to remain and Mr Wiggin backing the exit campaign.
Following the public debate, members of the audience had the opportunity to submit their questions for the panel to answer.
Alison Webster, who works as an advisor for the Diocese of Oxford in social and political issues, chaired the debate and had the difficult task of selecting questions from those submitted before opening the discussion.
At the end of the debate, the members of the panel were thanked by Reverand Alison Richards, the minister at Lansdowne Crescent, and presented each of them with a certificate to add to their CVs.
A Chase School spokesperson said: “As each of the students hopes to go on to study at University, the experience of speaking in a public debate will have been useful preparation for them.”
