Should there be a second referendum? Portsmouth students give arguments for and against Brexit '˜People's Vote' ahead of school debate

Portsmouth Grammar School is holding the event to give its students the chance to practise their debating and speaking skills.

They will be joined by other pupils across the city.

Here, two teenagers give for and against arguments on a second referendum on Brexit.

Naomi Smith, 17: FOR

I believe a second referendum should take place in the UK to decide whether we should remain in the European Union or, if it is decided to leave, which style of Brexit we should take.

I agree with Our Future Our Choice that we should be given a '˜people's vote' and like the Scottish independence referendum in 2014 the voting should be extended to 16 and 17-year-olds.

This is because we are the generation whom Brexit will truly affect in terms of trade, job availability, the stability of the economy and the strength of the pound. These are all key factors in the lives of the working British people and all factors which will be affected by any form of Brexit, particularly a no deal.

I believe it is undemocratic for young adults such as myself to be unable to have a say in the future of our country.

For context, 71 per cent of voters aged 18 to 24 voted to remain whereas 64 per cent of voters aged 65 and over voted to leave.

Over 65s were more than twice as likely as 18 to 24-year-olds to vote leave, many argue that this is an issue as it is predominantly the 18 to 24-year-olds who will have to work in a nation outside of the EU.

The voting shows that this is not what the our generation wants for our future.

Moreover, Sadiq Khan warns that a no-deal Brexit will result in 87,000 fewer jobs in London alone. As a global economic hub this will have a detrimental impact on the British economy and our competitiveness as a country.

We need to allow the British people to decide on the outcome of our country as there is a strong indication that parliament and the EU will reject Theresa May's Chequers Plan and a no-deal Brexit looms closer to reality.

As a country we were divided 52 per cent to 48 per cent and we can now see the leave campaign was deducted poorly and was sold to the public based on false information and scaremongering.

Overall, I hope that the United Kingdom will hold another referendum and will follow Scotland by lowering the minimum voting age to 16.

The decision of how to Brexit should be put forward and also whether we should leave or remain in the EU.

Finn Elliot '“ AGAINST

I strongly disbelieve in a Brexit re-election.

Firstly this is because it isn't democratic, as it goes against the legislative process of the Brexit referendum.

In June 2016 52 per cent of the voters voted for the UK to leave leave the European Union in March next year.

Therefore by calling for a re-election the government are undermining the decision made by the majority of the population.

In addition to this, as a young adult living in the UK, I'm first in favour of the initial Brexit referendum.

This is because the EU has a negative impact on our own country's economy, as wealth from the UK has to be shared to other EU countries who are struggling financially.

Furthermore, the European Union Parliament is a backwards system where electives from EU countries including the UK have taken little interest in participating in its assemblies.

I look forward to the change that leaving the EU brings if Theresa May's Chequers Plan is put in place.