US politicians hold Scottish Parliament conference

A group of US politicians held their first conference outside of North America in the Scottish Parliament this week.

Picture: submitted

Members of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) held a two-day conference at Holyrood which began on Tuesday.

The Parliament’s Presiding Officer Tricia Marwick secured the event during a visit to the US earlier this year to mark Scotland Week.

Over 50 US politicians, including speakers, Senate presidents and House leaders attended to hear speakers such as External Affairs Minister Humza Yousaf and Nigel Pain who heads the economic outlook unit at the OECD.

Picture: submitted

Business leaders, including CBI Scotland chair Nosheena Mobarik, were also at the event where attendees discussed the global economic outlook, future worldwide energy supplies and legislative leadership.

Speaking before the conference, Ms Marwick said: “Holyrood is firmly established as an effective platform for debate both domestically and internationally. This conference will provide politicians on both sides of the Atlantic the opportunity to discuss issues of global significance such as the current economic climate. But it will also be an opportunity to share experiences, reflect on knowledge and to learn from each other’s legislatures.”