Willie Rennie: 2018 Politicians and Professionals Series

For our 2018 Politicians and Professionals Series we asked each of the  major Scottish Party Leaders to speak on the theme of ‘Scotland After Brexit’.

Richard Leonard: 2018 Politicians and Professionals Series

For our 2018 Politicians and Professionals Series we asked each of the major Scottish Party Leaders to speak on the theme of ‘Scotland After Brexit’.

Ruth Davidson: 2018 Politicians and Professionals Series

For our 2018 Politicians and Professionals Series we asked each of the major Scottish Party Leaders to speak on the theme of ‘Scotland After Brexit’.

Nicola Sturgeon: 2018 Politicians and Professionals Series

For our 2018 Politicians and Professionals Series we asked each of the major Scottish Party Leaders to speak on the theme of ‘Scotland After Brexit’.

Richard Wyn Jones and Michael Keating on Welsh and Scottish perspectives on Brexit

Professors Richard Wyn Jones and Michael Keating considered the major challenges Brexit poses to the 1999 devolution settlements; the role of the devolved governments in negotiations; the allocation of competences currently shared with Europe, and related issues.

Richard Wyn Jones is Director of the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University, and Michael Keating is Director of the Centre on Constitutional Change.

The event was chaired by Dame Mariot Leslie on 21 November 2017. 

Nicholas Macpherson on economic policymaking in a UK outside the EU

Baron Macpherson of Earl's Court served as Permanent Secretary to the UK Treasury from 2005 to 2016, serving under three Chancellors and managing the department through the financial crisis which began in 2007. He joined the House of Lords in October 2016.

The event was sponsored by Baillie Gifford and took place on 13 November 2017.

Denmark and Maastricht, with Poul Skytte Christoffersen

24th October 2017

The Maastricht treaty on European Union had to be ratified by all 12 signatory countries or it would not take effect. Every country had its own rules for how treaties are ratified, and in three - Denmark, France and Ireland - a referendum was held. In June 1992, the Danes narrowly voted no - by 50.7 per cent to 49.3 per cent. In effect, 25,000 Danish voters decided the fate of the treaty, and sparked a political crisis in Europe. Poul Skytte Christoffersen, former Danish Permanent Representative to the European Union, spoke about what happened next, and what we might still learn from it.

Poul Skytte Christoffersen is Chair of the Board of Advisers at the European Policy Centre, Brussels, Former Ambassador of Denmark to Belgium and former Permanent Representative of Denmark to the European Union.

Christina Romer on the aftermath of financial crises

Christina Romer is Professor of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley, and former Chair of President Obama's Council of Economic Advisers. On 17th October 2017 she spoke at a David Hume Institute / MacCALM event at the Playfair Library, Edinburgh University.

Brexit: the view from Brussels, with Fabian Zuleeg

Fabian Zuleeg is Chief Executive of the European Policy Centre in Brussels. On 28th September 2017 he spoke at a David Hume Institute event at the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Chaired by Sir Andrew Cubie CBE

John Curtice on 2017 General Election

Britain’s foremost expert on opinion polls and voting patterns shared his fascinating analysis of the voting in the 2017 General Election with David Hume Institute members on 15 June and answered some key questions: when will the next vote be and who is likely to win? No simple answer, but interesting and informative.

In his full analysis Professor Curtice tackled some other big issues: is there such a thing as UK politics any longer? Has age replaced social class as the main discriminator between the two main parties? The UKIP vote crumbled – but where did it go? Why did the SNP lose so many seats?