In the next hour, our studio audience will put their questions to the politicians. Its the Northern Ireland leaders debate. Applause hello. In two days time well be casting our votes once again, brexit and the border of course are key issues in this election but in Northern Ireland and across the uk, the nhs has come into sharp focus too in recent days. We have invited the leaders of the larger parties to take part in the debate. Our line up is steve aiken, the recently appointed leader of the Ulster Unionist Party. Colum eastwood, the leader of sdlp. Naomi long, leader of the alliance party. Michelle oneill, northern leader of the sinn fein and vice party president. We also invited Arlene Foster but are instead joined byjeffrey donaldson, the chief whip in the last parliament. That is our panel. Applause. Tonights questions come from the studio audience made up mostly of Grassroots Party supporters butjoining them some undecided voters, perhaps what they hear will inform the decisions they make at the polls in the next hour. You canjoin in by using this hashtag welcome to our viewers across the uk watching on Bbc Parliament and on the news channel. The programme is being streamed on the bbc news ni website. Lets get into it. Ourfirst question comes from andrew foster, a student. Hes from andrew foster, a student. From lisbon. Do you believe brexit makes a United Ireland more likely . A couple of polls indicates there are some change in support in 2015, 30 of people in Northern Ireland want a United Ireland, now it is 51 . Two thirds think brexit its more likely in the next ten years. Polls are only indications, not evidence. You have warned people not to fall into what you call the dup trap of saying the deal is a danger to Northern Ireland . According to these figures, perhaps it is. The first thing we have to do is deal with the crisis we are in, the emergency which is brexit which will destroy our economy. It has already shaken our Peace Process and we need to deal with that urgently. We have to have a second referendum. We have to send people to westminster who are prepared to vote for a second referendum. Lets stop this brexit madness because i think there is no good that will come from it. It depends on who wins the election. It absolutely does. At a national level. This is the great thing about elections, the people get to decide. There isnt one ballot paper in a ballot box yet. Let the people decide. I want to be part of a pro remain coalition of parties right across parliament who will vote for a peoples vote, and lets put an end to this madness. There is nowhere as badly affected as Northern Ireland from brexit. It isa it is a real disaster. People here did not vote for it, more and more people dont want it. Lets have an opportunity to try again and try to stop it, i think it is fundamentally damaging. All that we hold dear. Sir geoffrey. Do you think it is a trap . I think Northern Ireland will remain part of the United Kingdom, i dont think there is that existential threat to Northern Irelands position within the uk. The people of the United Kingdom voted for brexit, it was a democratic vote. We cant go on with the situation where we ignore what people said because we dont like it. We keep putting the question to them again. The poll was held and people voted. We are having an election and people have the opportunity to vote again. You dont like the deal . Well, that is true but that is because we had poor negotiation on the behalf of the uk government and the deal they put on the table is not acceptable. That is why we used our ten votes in the house of commons to block the deal. The dup was crucial when it came to brexit. The reason borisjohnson has had to go to the country not delivering brexit is because his deal is flawed. But you get him support throughout the process until that final vote . Actually we blocked mrs mays deal because it was not acceptable. Until we get the right deal. That is why it is really important in this election. My message to unionists to send a strong unionist team back. Dont send you back, you put a border down the irish sea. That is what i am hearing on the doorstep that unionists want. Steve keeps going on about the 2nd of october. Steve needs to get his facts right. If you want to be a member of parliament. Lets do this. Lets show both sides of what were doing. There it is. Borisjohnsons deal and the date of the deal is not the 2nd of october, it is the 17th of october and two days later in the house of commons the dup blocks that deal because it is not good for Northern Ireland. Arlene foster, a strong and sensible deal. Let us have steve aiken come back on that. That is the benefit of having a strong unionist team. And a strong dup. Arlene foster said something that steve aiken has got a point on. Very, very clearly Arlene Foster on the 2nd of october said there was a strong and sensible deal. The only difference between the deal that you agreed on the 2nd of october. There wasnt a deal. Why did Arlene Foster and you lot all turn round and say, it was a strong and sensible idea the only difference between that and Boris Johnsons deal was around the issue of consent. That is not true. If you actually checked. The big difference. If youre going to make the accusation then you have to let him respond. Hold on a second, you turned around and recently Arlene Foster said, i think it was today on the radio, she said they talked with her majestys revenue and customs to support borisjohnsons deal before rejecting it. Did you, as a group of negotiators, look over the detail before the 2nd of october . The only difference between that and borisjohnsons deal was in fact the issue of consent. You agreed on the 2nd of october to put a border down the irish sea. Let geoffrey come back. Actually the big difference between what we were talking about on the 2nd of october and what Boris Johnson agreed to is it created a Customs Border in the irish sea. That was not what was on the table in the 2nd of october, we are clear about that. How many borders, geoffrey . Let him finish. We made it clear we would not support a deal that included a Customs Border in the irish sea. You did. On the 19th of october there were ten dup votes that blocked boriss deal. They did not support it in the end. Michelle, do you believe brexit makes a United Ireland more likely . There is nothing good to come from brexit and we didnt vote for it, we voted on a Cross Community basis to say we wanted to remain. This isjust a microcosm of what is happening in westminster. People cannot agree around brexit and where it goes next. The question was put does it make a United Ireland inevitable . I dont think anything is inevitable. More likely is the question. My answer is i think it makes people focus their minds are where their interests would be best served. The one Crucial Point in the whole debate and the whole discussion about the future would be the fact the eu have said in the event of a successful new referendum the north automatically comes into the eu. So for people who wants irish unity, he may value their european citizenship, they think about where they are best placed in the future. I think there is a healthy composition under way which is a good thing because the conversation for me as a republican who believes in irish unity. Should you not logically be a brexiteer . Absolutely not. If brexit can lead in any way to a United Ireland being more likely, why dont you support it . I dont think it is to anybodys advantage to run the north into the ground, for the economy to be a backwater. That build on something positive. I have tried very positively and have successfully defended the good friday agreement and an all ireland economy and make sure that there was no hard border on the silent, because we used our influence where it mattered in the Brexit Debate. No matter what happens in westminster, irish interests are never going to be represented in westminster, that has been very clear. Irish interests have never been served and you should know that more than most, geoffrey. You have been propping up the tories for the last two years and look where that has got you today. I think before we get to that we need to look at what geoffrey is failing to admit and the reason we are having a discussion about Borders Online and in the seas because they have supported brexit. On land. It is brexit that is the problem and it has because the challenges were facing right now. It has created the existential crisis, if you want to put it that way, and the solution is clear, to remain. We believe the most democratic way. The country voted to leave we believe the most democratic way as to allow the country to change its mind. Geoffreys colleague in westminster, nigel dodds has already said it is borisjohnsons deal or remain, he would rather remain. If they are allowed to change their mind, the dup too, then why cant the general public . The people were told in 2016 it was going to be unicorn brexit, we were going to have our cake and eat it, and what we have found is it has been disastrous in terms of the Peace Process, it has been a barrier to us being able to restore devolution, it is a threat to our economy and it is pushing people. Into a much more difficult situation. This is the position of the outgoing government. If the conservatives win a majority of any kind on thursday, when he stopped asking for a second referendum because the country will have spoken in support of the party which supports brexit . I dont believe a general election is a proxy for a poll because people will vote for parties on a whole range of issues. So youll keep doing it until you get what you want . No, we believe there should be a confirmatory referendum. It is not that unusual, especially when the deal on offer has strayed so far from even those who voted leave have asked for. When it has gone so far it is the right people should be consulted on that question. Turn that round to the question of making a United Ireland more likely. It has made Northern Ireland less stable, i dont think anyone could argue other than that. In terms of an impact, i dont think it makes a United Ireland more inevitable but i think it puts it into the centre of political discourse, i dont think that is good for long term stability. If you look at the polls, it is very clear the harder the brexit we have, the more borders, barriers and friction, the more likely people are to reconsider their position, and the more soft brexit that we have, the theresa may brexit, the more likely people artistic with the status quo. They are just polls. Nevertheless, it would be foolish if people ignored that. Boris johnsons United Kingdom break up deal, it is going to make Northern Ireland a place apart. It is going to drive scotland away from the United Kingdom as well. There is nothing about his deal that is good. It is not good for our economy, it is not good for the future of Northern Ireland and that is why we need to stop borisjohnsons deal. Theres nothing good about brexit at all. It is notjust his deal, brexit itself is divisive. It is the decision of the country. Thats what you have to live with. I have already said clearly the country has a right to change its mind. The bottom line is these decisions are going to be taken in few weeks. If westminster elects enough people who will vote for a second referendum, then we will have a second referendum. Sinn fein tell us there is no value to going to westminster, but they have acquired value, £5 million in expenses out of westminster in the last nine years. Applause that is 206 teachers. 220 nurses. There is real value in westminster. And use toad down in northern belfast to allow a possible mother one in. You stood down in northern belfast to possibly allow another one in. It is part of a broader strategy to get as many programming mps in as possible and stop as many brexiteers as possible. People understand you can have many tactics for a broader strategy and people are we need to stop breakfast. You are saying you must vote for a mp that represents you but not in north belfast. People in north belfast understand perfectly well because they would rather not have nigel dodds in the house of commons. Whatever geoffrey says, they are absolutely and totally culpable for the situation they find themselves in. Totally culpable. Applause i have said i think he is disingenuous. One or two irish mps are not going to go to westminster. The numbers mean you could have changed it. Lets look at the facts. 35 mps cannot make a difference. 35 snp mps 35 snp mps couldnt make a difference. Your mps could have stopped it. You will have a chance to address this. There is not one single threat of protection in scotland for the withdrawal deal that has been negotiated. One or two irish mps will never make a difference. Your party was in westminster for many years, they were not able to stop austerity, welfare reform. You voted to give the tories power for welfare reform. Dont be lecturing anybody on welfare reform. Again, you are being disingenuous with the public. You are pretending you can go to westminster, stop brexit. That is absolute nonsense. No, no, what i am saying is as part ofa no, no, what i am saying is as part of a Broad Coalition of mps who want to stop brexit, you dont want to stop it. You would be better working with me and the other pro remain parties to prevent a hard border. It will never be served in westminster. The evidence is there. I have done that. I will take my seat and try to stop brexit because that is what people want. We will stop austerity being imposed, you want to stand outside looking in the window. Applause. What you are trying to do, your aspirations are to go over to the green benches withJacob Rees Mogg. Thats what i love, i want to lie on the green benches. I want to speak up on behalf of people here, you go over to lobby mps in england. Because youre not prepared to do them yourself. You have taken £5 million in nine years. Your mps yourmps are your mps are always in the coffee shopin your mps are always in the coffee shop in westminster. Applause. I have been a backbench mp. I am aware of the limitations of the role. But if you can deliver if work with others. You cast your vote in favour of what you are in favour of, work with others to build coalitions, and i believe around brexit there is an opportunity to do that. I think sinn fein should take their seats and put the fight where it needs to be. Id actually put the fight where it needs to be in westminster. They are not going to add their voters know that. If i can finish, we have had a lot of points from the others. I understand it is a completely legitimate position for someone to be an abstentionist. People may vote for them on that. You cannot berate others for performance in parliament if you are not there to counteract. Some who were against brexit did not bother to take their seats. Some audience reaction please. This gentleman here. Go ahead, sir. My question is to michelle oneill, you are right that one or two irish mps will not make a difference in westminster, but it is the case that ten mps from the north of ireland have made a difference in wales and westminster. How can you justify seven mps not doing thejob but how can you justify seven mps not doing the job but taking how can you justify seven mps not doing thejob but taking expenses . During the indicative process there was a tied vote on whether to continue that indicative process. If it had passed, we could have voted in favour of a Customs Union in ireland. Therefore if Colum Eastwood had been mp for foyle instead of elisha mccallion, he would have tied up and voted for that indicative vote process to continue. For all beano it is not certain but we could have had a Customs Union instead a damaging deal that jeffrey has brought us. For the last two years, all we have had is infighting in the tory party. Claim and counterclaim in westminster. All weve had is not one bit of attention given to irish interest in the fact that we voted to remain on a Cross Community basis. I have said very clearly, we have been very successful because two years ago whenever the Brexit Debate came about, we took a conscious decision about how we would use our influence and did that in brussels, worked with the Irish Government and our friends have the United States and made sure we were. How many of these were successful . And we ended up with borisjohnsons Withdrawal Agreement. How do you measure the success . I measure the success, we want to achieve special status. We said we would protect the good friday agreement. It was and is the lp notion . One of yours, john odowd, he said. People didnt vote for special status. Applause. Finish your point. We said very clearly when we developed that document it became the Irish Governments position because of we brought attention to, it became the brussels position because we bro