Summary

  • The panel - Leave and Remain - respond to audience questions

  • Question 1: 'Does the Leave campaign have a racist undertone?'

  • Question 2: 'Under Brexit, how attractive is the West Midlands for foreign investment?'

  • Question 3: 'How will working people be affected, whatever the decision?'

  • Question 4: 'Why doesn't Remain understand strength of feeling over self-governance?'

  1. That's all folkspublished at 23:21 British Summer Time 12 June 2016

    If you want to watch the programme again in full, you can catch it on the iPlayer.

    Use the BBC's Reality Check website to find out the arguments from both sides on a range of key topics. You can find it here.   

    Our coverage of the EU referendum continues next week on Midlands Today when our Politics Editor, Patrick Burns, takes a "referendum road-trip", meeting the decision-makers - that's you. 

  2. 'Passionate' debatepublished at 23:19 British Summer Time 12 June 2016

    Well that was lively. We've had frogs, fishing and ruffled feathers.

    Mary signs off, noting a "heated and passionate" debate. Thanking the panel and audience, she has the reminder that the debate continues on social media, using #EUrefmids.

  3. 'Our freedom is not for sale'published at 23:15 British Summer Time 12 June 2016

    Bill Etheridge MEP says Remain's contention that Britain's vitality would be at risk post-Brexit is an insult to the nation. He says "shame on" those who imply Britain is a "small irrelevant country".

    Looking for a soundbite he hopes is strong enough to end the night, he says: "Our freedom is not for sale."

  4. Watch: Gisela Stuart on referendum's importance to 'next generation'published at 23:11 British Summer Time 12 June 2016

    The Chair of Vote Leave, Gisela Stuart, says you should be able to "remove those politicians who make decisions on your behalf". 

    Media caption,

    MP Gisela Stuart calls for voting change during BBC Midlands Today EU referendum debate

  5. Referendum is a 'once in a lifetime chance'published at 23:11 British Summer Time 12 June 2016

    We're approaching the end of the programme and the debate has turned to the question of self-governance. The audience member who asked the question suggests this is about people's gut reactions and it's at the core of the debate; something, he says, Remain hasn't fully grasped.

    Harriett Baldwin says the single market is valuable for West Midlands jobs, then echoes an earlier point from Tristram Hunt, saying Britain must retain its "seat at the table". Referencing the question, she maintains we are "democratically engaged" -  an assessment that is met with heckles from the audience.

    Harriet Baldwin

    But Gisela Stuart is not having it and "does not accept there is a trade off between trade and democracy".

    She brands the referendum a "once-in-a-lifetime" chance for the next generation", adding: "You should be able to remove politicians who make decisions on your behalf and at the moment, you can't do that [in the EU]".

  6. Tweet: 'Tristram talking nonsense'published at 23:09 British Summer Time 12 June 2016

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  7. Audience question: Brexiteers are 'not little Englanders'published at 23:09 British Summer Time 12 June 2016

    The last question of the night comes from Mark Taylor in the Leave camp,  who would like to know why the Remain campaign "doesn't seem to understand the strength of feeling of those who simply want self governance returned to the UK". 

    "[Leave] are not Little Englanders", he said, but "rational, reasonable folk who do not wish to be governed by European directives".

    Mark Taylor
  8. Lord Jones won't dance to status quo's beatpublished at 23:08 British Summer Time 12 June 2016

    Mr Wouhra - for Remain - is speaking about people coming in from Europe to fill the skills gap. Lord Jones - for the other side - is interested in the point, and begins to speak about this being "Asia's century".

    But it doesn't get the chance to go anywhere as he wants to shut down an interrupting Tristram Hunt - ding ding, round two. "For once," Lord Jones says to the Labour MP, "engage your brain before opening [your mouth] please." 

    Lord Digby Jones

    When he feels he has the floor again, Lord Jones continues. "The challenge before all of us is we have to fashion our economy so our grandchildren have healthcare, welfare and pensions that the economy can afford."

    He says both sides have good arguments as to how to achieve this. But he warns: "The status quo will not deliver it for anybody and you [Remain] want the status quo."

    Mr Hunt says leaving is "not a risk worth taking". It is, he thinks, an economic "walk into the unknown".

  9. Etheridge on 'white van man'published at 23:06 British Summer Time 12 June 2016

    Gisela Stuart speaks of the potential for cheap labour to impact on jobs, while Harriett Baldwin says remaining amounts to jobs, and that's what gives "working people opportunities".

    But it's MEP Bill Etheridge who rounds off this question, saying that for the working classes, continued membership of the EU has brought "zero hours contracts, part-time working, new jobs being taken from new people coming to the country".

    "If you're a classic white van man in this country", he continues, "you'll find your wages have been depressed because there's a massive over-supply of people to do the jobs".

    "The only people benefiting from this set-up are corporations, big bankers and big business". 

    Bill Etheredge
  10. Hunt warns of 'DIY recession'published at 23:05 British Summer Time 12 June 2016

    On the working people question, Tristram Hunt says his constituents in Stoke, citing those in ceramics in particular, are "heavily dependent on the European Union for business". 

    He thinks those who want to leave are walking towards a "DIY recession". 

    "The ceramics industry in Stoke exports 50% of ceramics to Europe and if we turn our back on that single market that would hurt the standard of living." He thinks, then, that his constituents are, dare we say it, china in the hand of pro-Brexiteers.

    He adds that the only way we can enjoy EU reform is to have "British leadership at the table" - you can't negotiate when you don't take part, he believes. 

    Tristram Hunt
  11. Tweet: 'Digby is just shouting'published at 23:03 British Summer Time 12 June 2016

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  12. Audience question turns to working peoplepublished at 23:02 British Summer Time 12 June 2016

    Tony Middleton asks a question which receives the biggest cheer of the night so far.

    He wants to know how working class people will benefit by being in or out. Higher pensions? Lower food prices?

    Tony Middleton
  13. Watch: Harriett Baldwin MP warns of 'leap in the dark'published at 22:59 British Summer Time 12 June 2016

    Harriett Baldwin says a Remain vote is vitally important for business in the West Midlands. 

  14. 'I want my children's future protected'published at 22:59 British Summer Time 12 June 2016

    An audience member is agitated by the heckle. She's with the argument presented by Mr Hunt.

    She says she can't afford to wait and see how Brexit turns out. She says she wants her children's future protected and that's why she's Remain.

  15. 'Project fear'published at 22:56 British Summer Time 12 June 2016

    Tristram Hunt says he's worried that a Brexit means foreign investors in his constituency would relocate, moving abroad.

    He is heckled with "project fear".

  16. Chair of Vote Leave issues warning over Brussels powerpublished at 22:54 British Summer Time 12 June 2016

    "If we vote to remain", warns Leave chair Gisela Stuart, "foreign direct investment, the powers for the decision-making will go to Brussels".  

    "This is about taking control".

    Gisela Stuart
  17. Tweet: 'Is it racist to vote for Brexit?'published at 22:53 British Summer Time 12 June 2016

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  18. Baldwin: 'Leap in the dark'published at 22:53 British Summer Time 12 June 2016

    The answers to the second question of the night begin:

    According to treasury minister Harriett Baldwin, three-quarters of the foreign business investors in the West Midlands cite membership of the single market as being "one of the attractions of basing themselves and creating jobs here".

    "If we put up a sign and say I'm sorry we're really not sure what the leap in the dark these guys want to take us on is, then businesses aren't going to wait around."

    Harriett Baldwin
  19. WATCH: Heated exchange between Lord Jones and Tristram Hunt MPpublished at 22:52 British Summer Time 12 June 2016

    If things weren't hot enough already under the studio lights, the temperature has soon soared.

    Media caption,

    Lord Digby Jones and Tristram Hunt clash during BBC Midlands Today debate

  20. Another question from the audiencepublished at 22:50 British Summer Time 12 June 2016

    Moving on to the economy now and Jas Sansi from Birmingham asks: "Will the Midlands be a more or less attractive option for foreign investment in the event of Brexit?"

    Jan Sansi