DOORS OPEN 9:30 am
LUNCH 12:45 pm – 1:45 pm
DOORS CLOSE 6:30 pm
9:50 am
MAIN HALL
Prof. Will Storrar – Introductory Remarks
10:00 am – 11:15 am
MAIN HALL
How Did We Get Here? The Making of Britain’s Democratic Crisis
11:15 am
MAIN HALL
James Robertson – ‘A Shortbread History of Scotland’
11:30 am – 12:45 pm
MAIN HALL
Tom Nairn and the Future of the British State
EAST DRAWING ROOM
The Rise of Sinn Féin and the Prospects for a United Ireland
WEST DRAWING ROOM
The Tories’ Economic Legacy and the Starmer / Reeves Project
1:45 pm – 3:00 pm
MAIN HALL
The SNP After Sturgeon, and Labour Under Starmer
EAST DRAWING ROOM
Where the Yes Campaign Goes From Here
WEST DRAWING ROOM
Can Democracy Survive the Climate Crisis?
3:00 pm
MAIN HALL
James Robertson – ‘Census’
3:15 pm – 4:30 pm
MAIN HALL
Can England Recover From Great Britain?
EAST DRAWING ROOM
International Relations and Nationalism in the 2020s
WEST DRAWING ROOM
Tom Nairn and the Monarchy Under Charles III
4:45 pm – 6:00 pm
MAIN HALL
Can Europe be Complete Without Scotland?
6:00 pm
MAIN HALL
James Robertson – ‘The News Where You Are’
6:05 pm
MAIN HALL
Joyce McMillan – Closing Remarks
See below for full programme and speakers
PLENARY
MAIN HALL
10:00 am – 11:15 am
How Did We Get Here?The Making of Britain’s Democratic Crisis
Caroline Lucas MP
Green MP for Brighton Pavilion
Lesley Riddoch
Campaigner, Journalist & Author of ‘Thrive: The Freedom to Flourish’
Leanne Wood
Political Activist & Former Leader of Plaid Cymru
Clive Lewis MP
Labour MP for Norwich South
Adam Ramsay - Chair
Special Correspondant, openDemocracy
READING
MAIN HALL
11:15 am
James Robertson – ‘A Shortbread History of Scotland’
PLENARY
MAIN HALL
11:30 am – 12:45 pm
Tom Nairn and the Future of the British State
Rory Scothorne
Journalist & Historian
Hilary Wainwright
Editor, Red Pepper Magazine
Pat Kane - Chair
Singer & Columnist, The National
PLENARY
MAIN HALL
1:45 pm – 3:00 pm
The SNP After Sturgeon, and Labour Under Starmer
Jamie Driscoll
Independent Mayor, North of Tyne
Joyce McMillan
Columnist and Theatre Critic, The Scotsman
Frances Foley
Deputy Director, Compass
Alyn Smith MP
SNP MP for Stirling
Maggie Chapman MSP - Chair
Scottish Green, MSP, North East Region
READING
MAIN HALL
3:00 pm
James Robertson – ‘Census’
PLENARY
MAIN HALL
3:15 pm – 4:30 pm
Can England Recover From Great Britain?
Moya Lothian-McLean
Journalist, Contributing Editor at Novara Media
Allan Little
Chair of Edinburgh International Book Festival, Special Correspondent for BBC News
Hardeep Matharu
Editor, Byline Times
Richard Wyn Jones
Academic and Co-author of ‘Englishness: The Political Force Transforming Britain’
Anthony Barnett - Chair
Journalist, Founder of openDemocracy and Charter 88
PLENARY
MAIN HALL
4:45 pm – 6:00 pm
Can Europe be Complete Without Scotland?
Neal Ascherson
Journalist and Author of ‘Stone Voices: The Search for Scotland’
Joanna Kopaczyk
Professor of Scots and English Philology, University of Glasgow
Alyn Smith MP
SNP MP for Stirling
Assa Samake-Roman
Columnist, The National
Andrea Pisauro - Chair
Co-director, Europe for Scotland
READING
MAIN HALL
6:00 pm
James Robertson – ‘The News Where You Are’
N.B All times are subject to confirmation and provided for guidance only
BREAKOUT
WEST DRAWING ROOM
11:30 pm – 12:45 pm
The Tories’ Economic Legacy and the Starmer / Reeves Project
Scott Lavery
Lecturer in Political Economy at the University of Glasgow
James Meadway
Director of the Progressive Economy Forum & former adviser to John McDonnell
Maggie Chapman MSP
Scottish Green, MSP, North East Region
George Kerevan - Chair
Journalist and Former SNP MP
BREAKOUT
EAST DRAWING ROOM
11:30 pm – 12:45 pm
The Rise of Sinn Féin and the Prospects for a United Ireland
Daniel Finn
Jacobin Features Editor & Author of ‘One Man’s Terrorist: a political history of the IRA’
Una Mullally
Columnist at The Irish Times, author of 'In the Name of Love'
Peter McColl - Chair
Former Rector of Edinburgh University and Co-Director of the Break-up of Britain conference
BREAKOUT
WEST DRAWING ROOM
1:45 pm – 3:00 pm
Can Democracy Survive the Climate Crisis?
Caroline Lucas
Green MP for Brighton Pavilion
Richard Seymour
Journalist & Author of ‘The Disenchanted Earth’ and ‘Corbyn: the rebirth of radical politics'
Rachel Donald
Climate Corruption Journalist & Host of Planet: Critical
Willie Sullivan - Chair
Political Campaigner, Director of Electoral Reform Society Scotland
BREAKOUT
EAST DRAWING ROOM
1:45 pm – 3:00 pm
Where the Yes Campaign Goes From Here
Laura Webster
Editor of The National
Lesley Riddoch
Campaigner, Journalist & Author of ‘Thrive: The Freedom to Flourish’
Jonathon Shafi
Co-founder of the Radical Independence Campaign
Siobhan Tolland
SNP NEC member
Mike Small - Chair
Editor of Bella Caledonia
BREAKOUT
WEST DRAWING ROOM
3:15 pm – 4:30 pm
Tom Nairn and the Monarchy Under Charles III
Scott Hames
Senior Lecturer in English Studies at the University of Stirling
Ray Burnett
Writer, Contributor to 'The Red Paper on Scotland'
Lesley Orr
Historian, Writer & Activist
Prof. Will Storrar - Chair
Campaigner, Director of of Center of Theological Inquiry (Princeton)
BREAKOUT
EAST DRAWING ROOM
3:15 pm – 4:30 pm
International Relations and Nationalism in the 2020s
Jen Stout
Freelance Journalist - contributor to the LRB & BBC
Henry Porter
Writer, journalist, and co-founder of The Convention on Modern Liberty
Myrto Tsakatika
Professor of Politics at the University of Glasgow
Mike Rapport - Chair
Reader in Modern History, Glasgow University, & author of ‘1848: Year of Revolution’