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In February, Bright Green launched a brand new series of events – the Bright Green Debates.

Once a fortnight, Bright Green is bringing together leading figures on the left to discuss and debates the biggest issues of the day. These fortnightly debates will feature panelists from across progressive political parties, trade unions, the media, social movements and the arts.

So far, we’ve hosted two of these. Here is a rundown of the best bits of the debate so far.

Tribune staff writer and A World to Win podcast host Grace Blakeley called for school safety to be subsidised instead of private profit

NUS President Larrissa Kennedy argued that the so-called free speech crisis is a manufactured crisis

Green Party of England and Wales education spokesperson claimed the government has used the Covid-19 pandemic as an opportunity for corruption and privatisation

National Education Union joint general secretary Mary Bousted argued Tory policy is jeopardising a safe re-opening of schools

Scottish Green Party co-leader Lorna Slater made the case for proportional representation

Tribune editor Ronan Burtenshaw argued that Scottish independence isn’t necessarily the road to socialism

NHS doctor and campaigner Sonia Adesara argued that our pharmaceutical model is corrupt

Global Justice Now Director Nick Dearden called for an end to vaccine apartheid

John Rees argued that Matt Hancock’s NHS reforms would lead to further privatisation

The National’s digital content and audience editor made the case for a second Scottish independence referendum

Wales Green Party leader argued that the so-called ‘free speech crisis’ is a distraction out of Donald Trump’s playbook

You can watch the first of the Bright Green Debates with Ronan Burtenshaw, Vix Lowthion, Lorna Slater, John Rees and Lorna Webster here. The second of the Bright Green Debates with Grace Blakeley, Larissa Kennedy, Mary Bousted, Nick Dearden, Anthony Slaughter and Sonia Adesara can be watched here. You can find all the details for the forthcoming debates here.

PS. We hope you enjoyed this article. Bright Green has got big plans for the future to publish many more articles like this. You can help make that happen. Please donate to Bright Green now.