Past Events

We spoke to Dr Hannah White about her new book: "Held in contempt: What's wrong with the House of Commons?"

On May 5 local elections will be held across the UK. In Scotland, 1,228 councillors will be elected across 32 council areas. They will have responsibility for a huge range of local decisions; from bin collections to school budgets, and pest control to business support. But in 2022, is the system for local government fit for purpose?

It’s never been easier to access the news - whether it’s TV, radio, newspapers or social media, the stream of updates can be never-ending. But with more and more available do you know who to trust? What’s real news and what’s fake? How has this influenced our view of politics and politicians? We were delighted to be joined by journalist and author, Nick Sheridan, to discuss how to navigate through the highs and lows of our a modern day news cycle, and if these skills can improve trust in politics.

As politics continues to dominate the news agenda, just how damaged is British democracy and what can be done to fix it?

On 18 May 2021 we discussed the impact of COVID-19 on the human rights of care experienced people in Scotland.

Introduced by University of Glasgow Principal, Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, David joined Centre Director Kezia Dugdale in conversation discussing his early life, his book "Tribes" and how he’s used the role of a MP to secure justice for the Windrush Generation and victims of the Grenfell fire.

David is the Shadow Secretary of State for Justice and Labour MP for Tottenham.

In conversation with Kezia Dugdale, Tanni discusses her work in the House of Lords, looking at the Duty of Care in sport after high profile incidents of abuse, bullying, racism and discriminations, as well as her hopes and fears for the future.

She has been involved in community advocacy for most of her life, including working for former Governor Jack Markell, the late Attorney General Beau Biden, and as a White House intern during the Obama Administration. Most recently, she served as a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, the United States of America’s largest LGBTQ equal rights organization.

Tanni Grey-Thompson is a multi-gold medal winning Paralympian and disability rights campaigner.

When Sarah McBride was elected in November 2020 to the first state senate district of Delaware, she became the first openly transgender state senator in American history.

He was part of David Cameron’s communications team in 10 Downing Street for four years and has also worked as Media Advisor to the British Forces in Afghanistan. He’s now the Director of Public Affairs for the London based PR agency PLMR.