The Stevenson Trust for Citizenship invites the public to attend a special pre-election event to examine the wider issues of the campaign beyond narrow party politics.

In the ‘Making sense of the General Election’ event - at 5.30pm in the Boyd Orr building on Wednesday 28 April - a panel of academic experts including Professor Alan Clements, Dr Paul Graham, Dr Ana Langer, Dr Tom Lundberg and Professor Barry O’Toole will offer their perspectives on this historic election and respond to audience questions.

Among the subjects up for discussion will be:

• The politics of a hung (balanced) parliament
• The Liberal Democrat challenge
• Television debates and the personalisation of politics
• Electoral and constitutional reform
• The Scottish dimension  

Dr Kevin Francis, Stevenson Fellow in Citizenship said: “The May 2010 General Election is posing deep questions for our understanding of parliamentary democracy. We have the new to the UK phenomenon of televised leaders’ debates, an upsurge in Liberal Democrat support which could signal the end of two party Westminster politics, and the real possibility of either a minority government or a formal coalition.

“What are the politics of coalition and which parties might join with which to form a coalition government in the event of a hung parliament? Will issues of constitutional reform - reform of the Lords; the end of First-Past-The-Post constituency elections; the right of recall of MPs; and independence for Scotland - dominate the next parliament?

“Come and hear political experts from the University of Glasgow contribute their insights into the background, dynamics, and implications of this historic Election”

Organised by the Stevenson Trust for Citizenship and the Department of Politics the event – 5.30-7pm Wednesday 28 April in the Boyd Orr Lecture Theatre 1, University Avenue, University of Glasgow - is free and open to all.
 
Further information: Dr Kevin Francis, Stevenson Fellow in Citizenship
Tel: 0141 330 5130
Email: stevensontrust@gla.ac.uk
www.gla.ac.uk/departments/stevensontrustforcitizenship/news/
 
 

First published: 25 April 2010

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