Around 70% of the UK public want a referendum on the UK’s membership to the EU and a majority want the UK to leave. However, the debate between politicians seems split, even on the “Eurosceptic” side.

At 4pm on Tuesday 9 October in the Freedom Zone (Austin Court), The Freedom Association is hosting a Better Off Out event where members of both the Conservative Party and the UKIP will be debating which party is the most Eurosceptic. With panellists including Roger Helmer MEP and Philip Davies MP, there should be some competition.

Yet the point remains that two broadly Eurosceptic parties are taking different lines and at the same time, could be putting both the efforts for firstly an In/Out referendum and making the case for UK / EU withdrawal at risk.

The old saying that united we stand or divided we fall certainly seems to apply and, as many of us who are putting forward the case for a UK free of the cost, restrictions and regulations currently being inflicted on it by the EU realise, we need to find some common ground.

This is because of many things, including institutional barriers within the media and in Whitehall. Also, large vested interest groups that have a stake in the UK remaining in the European Union will, if ever there is to be a referendum, give large amounts of money to ensure the status quo remains. Finally, it wouldn’t stretch the imagination to think that the EU would pump substantial amounts of money into a campaign to keep the UK in the Union and means that the “No” camp need to be as agile and well prepared as possible.

In appearing on the mainstream media the representatives of any “No” campaign need to be able to make the case convincingly to the public. While “Eurosceptic” groups like Open Europe try to muddy the water by pressing for renegotiation, others need to present a positive vision for the UK outside the EU and relate it to how the country and the individual would be better off in a UK free from the EU’s hold.

Those who come and see the debate in Austin Court will surely see some sparks fly. Yet there are plenty of things that unite the campaign and a wealth of talent and expertise that, in the right way, can take forward the campaign and succeed in convincing the people of Britain that they’d be better off out.

I’m sure it’ll be an interesting discussion and that there will be compelling cases made for getting the UK out of the EU. Please come along and see for yourself! 

Rory Broomfield is Deputy Director at The Freedom Association. He tweets @rorybroomfield