Held at the University of Brighton, this is a debate between ‘In’ and ‘Out’ that is not seen, heard or represented in the mainstream media in the UK or overseas.

It is a debate on the Left about the best way forward for justice and equality and democracy.

The debate speakers are:

Caroline Lucas, MP (Brighton Pavilion), and leading figure in the Green Party (UK)

Tom Hickey, trade union activist (UCU), university lecturer, and member of the Socialist Workers’ Party (UK)

The mainstream debate in Britain about membership of the EU has been very different to the debate represented in this film. It has been dominated by the concerns of the political Right Wing of UK politics: between those seeking to restore sovereignty and national independence (the national ‘little England’ neo-liberals), on the one hand, against those concerned to remain in Europe because of the commercial opportunities of its market and its blocks on social change (the ‘cosmopolitan’ neo-liberals), on the other. Its latest degeneration is into racist claims and counter-claims about Turks and Turkish accession to the EU. One side of the mainstream debate claims that remaining in the EU will mean that Britain will be overrun by millions of Turkish criminals; the other side echoes that racism by arguing that Britain can veto Turkish membership to keep Turks out of Britain.

This film is of a debate which starts from different premises entirely, and is an antidote to that neo-liberal and racist rhetoric.

Please share with friends, and post to lists of those who would be interested in a debate that is taking place largely below the radar of the mass media.

The debate took place on Thursday 12th May 2016. It was hosted by the ‘Philosophy, Politics, Art’ Seminar Series, School of Humanities, University of Brighton (UK).