Alyn Smith, the SNP’s Scottish Government candidate for Stirling and a former Member of the European Parliament, was the lead speaker for the motion. He was supported by Sir Ian Forrester. Sir Ian, who was knighted in the New Year’s Honour for services to international law, is a Glasgow University graduate and was a leading student debater. He was a judge at the General Court of Justice of the European Union, until the UK left the EU.
Student debater, Emilia Faulkner, a second-year law and Spanish language student, who has won public speaking awards, was the final speaker for the motion. She used her time to also call for a revival of foreign languages teaching across the UK.
The opposition was led by Glasgow University political scientist, Dr Michael Scanlan and by award winning student debaters Harry Braid and Harry Olden. While accepting that Brexit is a failed policy, the team argued that rejoining the EU should not be part of the UK’s politics at present.
The debate, which was organised jointly by the European Movement in Scotland and Glasgow University Debating Society, was chaired by Convener of Debates, Colson Merrill.
He said:
“This was a fantastic debate argued with facts, analysis, humour and passion by both teams. We had insightful and knowledgeable questions from the audience in the gallery. The debate was about serious politics of the highest importance, conducted in a wholly constructive way.”
Speaking for the European Movement in Scotland, its President, David Martin said.
“Our primary aim was to have the issue of our place in Europe aired and discussed by a generation of students who were too young to vote in the 2016 Brexit referendum. When they were asked to vote for or against the motion, the students overwhelmingly opted for Scotland and the UK returning to the EU.”
Glasgow University Union is one of the most successful university debating unions in the world. It has been world debating champions five times and won the European Championships in 2017 and has been British and Irish Champions a record 16 times.
Former Presidents of the debating society include the journalist Andrew Neil, former Lord Chancellor Derry Irvine, Conservative politician Liam Fox, and Labour MSP Paul Sweeney.
Late politicians who were Presidents include Lord “Ming” Campbell, Charles Kennedy, who both led the UK Liberal Democrats; Scotland’s first First Minister Donald Dewer, and John Smith, who led the UK Labour party.
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