Photo opportunity: 12.45 pm, John Swinney MSP with University students and staff, Friday 17 October, Conference Suite/Training Complex, Tower Building, University of Dundee, Dundee.
John Swinney MSP, Leader of the SNP, shall kick off the University of Dundee’s Politics lecture series by presenting the case for further tax powers for the Scottish Parliament.
In what promises to be a frank and lively presentation, Mr Swinney shall also address independence in an interdependent world and the impact of globalisation in Scotland.
This event is the first in the annual New Scotland: New Politics? lecture series run by the Department of Politics. The presentations feature established political figures discussing issues relating to post- devolution Scotland.
Dr Norrie MacQueen, Head of the Politics Department, said, "We are absolutely delighted that John will be our first speaker this year. He will be the first of three prestigious speakers who have kindly agreed to take part in our 2003 lunchtime lectures - the other two are Mike Watson MSP (and former Scottish Minister) and Ross Finnie MSP (Minister for Rural Affairs and Fisheries).
This series of lectures has been running since autumn 2000 and we have been very fortunate in securing such high profile speakers. In recent years the number of students studying politics at the University of Dundee has risen markedly and students relish the chance to listen to and question some of Scotland’s top flight politicians."
Ahead of the lecture, Mr Swinney said, "Soon, much of Eastern Europe will have free access to Scottish markets. Their entry into the EU will herald a new age of competition. What do we have to do to ensure Scotland holds its own? How do we handle the ever-accelerating globalisation of our world? What decisions do we need to take here in Scotland to meet the challenges we face?
These are the big questions facing our nation. These are the questions that will dominate the next few years and will form a large part of the new politics that we must fashion.
Already we have a consensus emerging that part of the answer is more powers over our economy - powers to give ourselves a competitive edge."
The lecture will take place on Friday 17 October in the Conference Suite/Training Complex, Tower Building, University of Dundee, at 1pm.
Editors’ notes
Please note that the above quote is not from Mr Swinney’s lecture text.
By Esther Black, Press Officer 01382 344768 e.z.black@dundee.ac.uk