Constituents from Skipton and Ripon attended the second of two constituency EU debates organised by Julian Smith MP on Friday night. The Pen-y-Ghent Hall at Craven College was packed with constituents who came to hear the arguments for remaining in and leaving the EU.
Agricultural expert Professor Wyn Grant began proceedings with an informative and insightful presentation on the potential impact of a Brexit on the farming community. He covered a broad range of areas and it was clear that the audience valued hearing his assessment of what may happen to a vital industry in the area.
The main debate saw Ken Clarke MP representing the Remain argument and Nigel Evans MP making the case for the Leave side. The exchanges were lively and helped on by some excellent questions from the audience and from the Chair, Sam Thompson.
The evening was rounded off by Julian Smith MP, who set out his reasons for supporting the Remain campaign.
Julian Smith MP said: ‘I would like to thank all those who took part in the event on Friday, including the speakers themselves and the superb team at Craven College. I organised these two events in Skipton and in Ripon because it is becoming increasingly important that voters are provided with facts if they are to make an informed decision on 23 June. If anyone wishes to discuss any queries or concerns with me ahead of the 23 June, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Lastly, I urge everyone to ensure that they are registered to vote and please remind your friends and family to do the same. The deadline is tomorrow, the 7 June and more details are available at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote .’