England and Scotland: "Can we live interdependently, whatever happens?” 

Special Festival Fringe event: Wednesday 26 August, 630pm

John Swinney MSP, Deputy First Minister of Scotland and Bernard Jenkin MP, Chair of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee in the House of Commons
 
“The House should not carry on like this, as though we have not suffered the near death of one of the most successful nation states the world has ever seen……Unless we approach this in a new spirit, I fear for the future……."

“Why Didn’t we have this Conversation a Year Ago?” is the theme for three events at the Festival Fringe on August 24, 26 and 27. 
 
Hosted by leading mediator John Sturrock QC, the events tackle conflict and how we deal with it. Each night, Sturrock will lead conversations with the audience, accompanied by food and music, on the theme of difficult conversations and each night a different topic will feature special guest conversationalists. 
 

On Wednesday 26 August, the topic is:
 
England and Scotland: "Can we live interdependently, whatever happens?” and the guests that night are: 
 
John Swinney MSP, Deputy First Minister of Scotland and Bernard Jenkin MP, Chair of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee in the House of Commons.

Bernard Jenkin, who once fought a Parliamentary seat in Scotland and is an influential Conservative figure, has said:
 
“The House should not carry on like this, as though we have not suffered the near death of one of the most successful nation states the world has ever seen, and without an atmosphere of contrition and seriousness about what we have all got wrong in the relationship between our four great nations in this great country. Unless we approach this in a new spirit, I fear for the future. I will approach these matters with the utmost seriousness and determination and with a mind to seeking the maximum consensus…….”
 
His co-conversationalist, John Swinney, has devoted his political career to cause of independence for Scotland. The SNP has an unprecedented number of MPs at Westminster and polls predict a very large vote for the SNP at next year’s Holyrood elections. The event will explore how we can continue to work together regardless of the constitutional future.
 
Wednesday 26 August at 6.30 pm at St Paul’s and St George’s Church, Edinburgh.

Tickets are available here. 
 
Note:

On Monday 24 the topic is “Theology Today: Can we take the Bible both literally and seriously?" and speakers are Very Rev John Chalmers, formerly Moderator of the Church of Scotland; Rev Scott McKenna, Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church, Edinburgh; and Rev Canon Dave Richards, Rector, St Pauls and St Georges Church, Edinburgh. 

On Thursday 26 the topic is “Carbon Dependence: Can we wean ourselves off fossil fuels quickly enough to survive?” and speakers are John Ashton, commentator on climate, politics and culture and former UK envoy on climate change, Tessa Tennant from Our Voices, George Marshall, author of Don’t Even Think About It: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Ignore Climate Change and Alastair McIntosh, author of Hell and High Water.
 
 
For further information please contact:

John Sturrock, Chief Executive and Senior Mediator
Core Solutions, 10 York Place, Edinburgh EH1 3EP             
John.sturrock@core-solutions.com 
www.core-solutions.com                                                                 
0131 524 8188
07793 401511