#c4newspopup: live online debate

This week Channel 4 News has been touring the country to find out how real the economy recovery actually feels across the UK.

From Fowey in Cornwall to Edinburgh, our #c4newspopup team have been out on the streets meeting people and asking them what they think of the job market, house prices, the cost of living and more.

The chancellor, George Osborne, says things are getting better – but are there any green shoots popping up in the towns and cities of Britain?

Are there green shoots popping up in the towns and cities of Britain?

In our #c4newspopup Google Hangout, which you can watch above, we brought together some of the people we met in each of the areas we visited to debate as a group whether Britain is back on the up.

In Edinburgh, we had Matthew Ellis, a comedian who has been performing at the Fringe Festival.

Mick Dawson who runs MSG Bike Gear, joined us from the north east. He says small businesses, and the north east, need more government help to emerge from the recession.

From Swindon we heard from Wayne Smith, who tweeted Channel 4 News to warn us off visiting his town – we think he was joking but he’s here to talk about how he doesn’t think anything is getting better for many people.

And from Fowey in Cornwall we had Sinead Hanks, who has returned to her hometown after living in London. She now runs the Love Fowey website, representing a group of local business owners, artists and photographers who want to shout about their town. She thinks things are looking up.