LEADING figures from three fields – but not politics – met for a special EU referendum debate in Bradford.

Managing director of Shipley-based Newmason Properties Andrew Mason, lawyer Debbie Jukes and economics lecturer at the University of Bradford Dr Mark Baimbridge were on the panel for the latest instalment of Politics in the Pub.

They met at The 1875 bar in Ivegate to discuss the EU referendum, which takes place on Thursday.

When asked whether they thought a vote to leave the EU would affect Bradford, the majority opinion was that the district would benefit, but would have to work hard for it.

Mr Mason said: “Bradford has the some of the highest numbers of entrepreneurs in the Northern Powerhouse, and the fourth or fifth largest economy in the UK – you just have to look at the success of the Bradford Means Business Awards.

“If we come out, with the number of start-ups we have, it could be liberating for them.”

Dr Baimbridge was also optimistic about Bradford’s chances in a post-Brexit economy.

He said: “If we look 15 years ago, when you had a lot of money from the EU, for things such as the restoration of old buildings, it would have been a bad thing; but we don’t get that money anymore.

“The Government has not really had any regional policy for the past few years, so if we leave Bradford would have to try and get a good portion of this as part of the Northern Powerhouse, which would also need more proper investment rather than just building railways.”

Ms Jukes said it was difficult to predict how a Brexit would affect the city.

She said: “If we believe the Remain camp that it will be bad for the UK as a country, then jobs will be lost, and the first jobs that tend to go are in the poorer areas such as Bradford.

“But if we believe the Leave campaign, then everything will be better, so Bradford would benefit, but as with the national situation, we just don’t know.”

She added: “I was in the Middle East earlier this year, and people from Iraq, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates were saying to me, ‘Why would you throw something like the EU away when we would give our right arms to have something similar here?’

“So I think, why would we want to leave something that so many other countries envy.”

l Polling stations across the district will be open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday.