As representatives from the five main political parties went head to head in a pre-recorded debate at the UTV studio, Belfast Live were there to watch the discussion unfold
In the first televised debate from Northern Ireland during this UK General Election campaign, the leaders of the DUP , Alliance and the SDLP went head to head with UUP deputy leader Robbie Butler and Sinn Féin's John Finucane in what was an uncharacteristically civil discussion.
Gavin Robinson was on the attack throughout the debate and the only firey exchange of the night came when he accused Naomi Long of not caring about unionist concerns over the Protocol and Windsor Framework, in a comment Naomi described as being "factually incorrect". Mr Finucane saw down multiple attacks from the SDLP's Colum Eastwood over his party's policy on abstention and suggested comments that his party's votes could have changed the outcome of Brexit votes which were lost on single figures as a "rewriting of history".
On the prospect of a border poll, Naomi said that she didn't attend the Ireland's Future event in Belfast because her "time was at a premium" and that her party will take a position on the constitutional future once a proposition is on the table but that her focus is on uniting Northern Ireland.
DUP SDLP UTV Ulster Unionist Party Naomi Long East Belfast Stormont Politics
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