ScotsmanDebates debut is a sell-out

Published on Tuesday 27 May 2008 22:41

THE first in a series of eight ScotsmanDebates to discuss the big issues of 2008 is a sell-out.

All seats in the George Square Lecture Theatre at the University of Edinburgh have been taken for the independence debate tonight. STV political editor Mike Crow will kick off by asking the panel the key question – "One year on from the SNP's historic election victory, are we any closer to independence?"

Nicola Sturgeon, Deputy First Minister, will put the case for the SNP, but her Labour adversary will now be Malcolm Chisholm, MSP. The culture spokesman – who filled the health and communities briefs when Labour was in power – is a late replacement for Cathy Jamieson, who pulled out for personal reasons.

Liberal Democrat leader Nicol Stephen, deputy Scottish Conservative leader Murdo Fraser, independent MSP Margo MacDonald and Green MSP Patrick Harvie complete the political panel. Academic gravitas is provided by Professor Tom Devine, one of Scotland's leading historians.

A wide range of questions about the constitutional future of Scotland has been submitted by Scotsman readers and the best will be put to the panel. The debate, organised in conjunction with independent research and consultancy company Blake Stevenson, starts at 7pm and should end about 8:30pm.

Anyone interested in attending the second debate at the Town House in Aberdeen next Monday – to look at balancing Scotland's environmental and economic interests – is advised to book tickets now as very few are left. Send an e-mail to [e-mail]