Annie Lennox set to rock parliament as Festival of Politics speaker

Published on Monday 6 July 2009 10:09

SCOTS rock star Annie Lennox, rebel Labour politician Clare Short and an American president's granddaughter are among the star attractions at this year's Festival of Politics.

The programme for the five-day event, released today, also includes feminist writer Germaine Greer, Scottish novelist James Kelman and former independent MSP Dennis Canavan.

The festival, now in its fifth year, runs from Tuesday, 18 August until Saturday, 22 August at the Scottish Parliament.

Ms Lennox was due to appear at last year's event to talk about her involvement in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa, but was forced to pull out after injuring her back.

The former Eurythmics singer will speak on the opening day about her work in the fight against the disease through her SING project and Nelson Mandela's 46664 Foundation, and the action everyone can take in fighting the pandemic.

Former Labour minister Clare Short, who now sits as an independent MP, will be interviewed about her 26-year parliamentary career, including her appointment as the UK's first international development secretary and her stance on the Iraq war.

Susan Eisenhower, granddaughter of the late US President Dwight Eisenhower, will join a panel debating the challenges facing President Barack Obama.

Writer and academic Germaine Greer is due to take part in a discussion on the future of Scotland's built environment.

Booker Prize-winning novelist James Kelman is scheduled to join Vicky Featherstone, artistic director of the National Theatre of Scotland and others to talk about devolution's impact upon the arts and the influence of the arts on Scottish politics.

Presiding Officer Alex Fergusson will team up with his two predecessors, Sir David Steel and George Reid, to discuss the parliament's achievements over its first ten years and the future direction of devolution.

Former Independent MSP Dennis Canavan will return to the parliament to reflect on his life in politics and the issues he holds most dear.

Other expected highlights include historian and author Professor Tom Devine giving a lecture on Scotland's role in the British Empire, and Nicholas Stern, author of an influential report on climate change, taking part in a discussion on "From Economic Crash to Eco Recovery?"

There will be sessions on Scotland's cutting-edge life science research, the potential of co-operatives as an alternative economic model, and how devolution and gender equality could bring about "less confrontational politics".

Festival-goers will also be invited to learn about a variety of topics from "eco-cities" in China to the history and future of diabetes.

There will also be an opportunity for people to debate topical issues with MSPs from across the political spectrum in a Parliamentary Questions session.

Mr Fergusson said: "The Festival of Politics has proven itself an invaluable tool in encouraging people to engage with the Scottish Parliament – so much so that the initiative is now being adopted by other parliaments around the world."

The festival coincides with the World Press Photo exhibition, which has been hosted at Holyrood for the past three years. It showcases the work of prize-winning photojournalists from across the world and runs from 7 August to 5 September.