Reviews & features: Festival of Politics

World Press Photo 2012 exhibition visits Edinburgh

A photo essay of the world, richly deserving of the term ‘definitive’

Once again returning to Edinburgh for its annual summer visit to coincide with the Festival of Politics, the World Press Photo exhibition is a source of marvel and inspiration, even those of us who keep in touch with the news. As well as collating most…

Edinburgh Festival of Politics event charts history of political satire

Talk with Martin Rowson, Tom Shields and Tommy Sheppard

There was a moment during an especially bitchy session of Prime Minister’s Questions in April that said much about how satire can influence the centre of British political debate. With David Cameron reeling during an angry exchange on the Budget, Ed…

2012 Edinburgh Festival of Politics highlights

Talks on George Wyllie, the music industry, Canongate and Scotland's wood cabins

Singin’ I’m No a Billy, He’s a Tim. The difficulties of overcoming ignorance associated with the issue of sectarianism in Scotland were perfectly highlighted last season when one football radio pundit accused Des Dillon’s play of actually promoting…

Young People’s Day debate at Edinburgh Festival of Politics

Does the world of British politics cater for country’s young people?

Young voters are valuable. At their first election, many teenagers choose the political party to which they will align for life; it would be wise, surely, for the parties to make sure they get them early. But there is obviously still a failure to…

World Press Photo 2011 in Edinburgh - Jodi Bieber interview

Photo of mutilated young Afghan woman a symbol of tormented times

Bibi Aisha was 18 when the Taliban came calling for her just before midnight. Forced into a mountain clearing in the southern Afghan province of Uruzgan, she was put on trial and convicted by a local commander. Her crime: fleeing from a violent husband…

Edinburgh Festival of Politics 2011 - Highlights

Richard Holloway, Sarah Boyack and David Greig among highlights

The Festival of Politics may be one of the junior members of the August fraternity, but it just keeps coming of age. An array of events, speakers and themes are on the agenda this year with technology and the upheavals across north Africa and the Middle…

Edinburgh Festival of Politics examines impact of social networks on news

Talks on human rights and social media featured in 2011 programme

Where were you when unrest broke out in Iran before the 2009 presidential elections or when the Cairo protests against Hosni Mubarak were going on or even when the first of many Ryan Giggs stories began to leak? You were probably in front of Twitter…

Festival of Politics - Annie Lennox on HIV/AIDS in South Africa

Founder of the SING campaign set for Edinburgh appearance

1. Becoming a UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador recently has strengthened and broadened my platform. Michel Sidibé, the director of UNAIDS, is a real visionary who has a very clear and innovative directive as to how he wants to lead the response to the HIV…

Martin Bell discusses lack of faith in politicians in Edinburgh visit

Festival of Politics and Book Festival appearances scheduled

The man in the white suit is in town for an event at the Festival of Politics but he’s also kindly dropping by to charm the punters in Charlotte Square. Here, he will be discussing the lack of faith we now have in our elected representatives, mainly due…

World Press Photo

The List looks at this year's exhibition

Brian Donaldson casts an eye over the winning shots in the World Press Photo collection and witnesses both horror and heaven. Sometimes even captured within the same image.

John Prescott and Menzies Campbell among highlights of Festival of Politics 2010

Edinburgh Festival tackles big ideas

The Politics of Comedy Will the ConDemNation we all live in now spark a new political comedy or has all that stuff been left behind in the 80s? Is it all just about the money and not trying to frighten the horses? How do the likes of Jimmy Carr and…

Martin Bell, Mark Thomas and Annie Lennox set for Festival of Politics

Power of the People event examines political process

Were you depressed by the outcome of the general election? The Conservatives back in power despite being all but annihilated in Scotland. Labour collapsed despite being endorsed north of the border. The Lib Dems putting Cameron in Downing Street. The…

Annie Lennox provides HIV/AIDS campaign update

Festival of Politics 2010

A regular visitor to the Scottish Parliament come August time, former Eurythmics co-leader Annie Lennox takes part in two events. First up she is joined by comic Mark Thomas and former war correspondent turned independent MP Martin Bell in Power of the…

Edinburgh festivals line-ups announced

Whatever your cultural poison, Edinburgh’s festival circuit has it covered

Fest: Around Town Hitlist

The Best Books, Events and LGBT

The Red Bus Beach Trips, Edinburgh International Festival of Middle Eastern Spirituality and Peace 2009, Big Red Door Festival, Festival of Politics, Votes for Women, Famous Scots Exhibition

Festival of Politics tackles devolution and the Arts

James Kelman, Vicky Featherstone and Germaine Greer on bill

The Scottish Parliament’s annual festival of issues and debate is back again, with lectures on everything from the legality of Facebook to diabetes and time travel. Other events catching our beady little eyes include a discussion on Devolution and the…

A Life in Politics - Clare Short

Hear the independent MP discuss her career and the issues

Toeing the party line may not be Clare Short’s biggest strength. The feisty politician has frequently received criticism for straying very vocally ‘off message’, and once declared the House of Commons as ‘one of the most depressing and intellectually…

Fest foot forward

Whatever your taste, Edinburgh has an August event to match

Nowhere does a festival quite like Edinburgh. Spend a year in the city and you can clock up more than a dozen, from horror film weekend Dead by Dawn to the internationally renowned winter Hogmanay event. And that’s before you take daytrips to catch the…

Germaine Greer at the Festival of Politics

The writer joins the Future Scotland Debate on Sustainable Places

If anyone can get punters fired up about politics it’s Germaine Greer. Relations between MPs and the electorate are at an all-time low; kids can’t be bothered to get off the computer to vote; and our PM’s position is looking decidedly precarious. So…

Anthony Suau's World Press Photo shot

The winning photographer's disturbing vision of America

Wars, from Georgia to the Middle East, and the human suffering they cause featured heavily among the winners of the World Press Photo competition this year. American snapper Anthony Suau scooped the top prize for a shot that starkly and ambiguously…

Best of the Rest - Politics

Political highlights at the Edinburgh Festivals

Highlights include Annie Lennox and the SING campaign, From Darwin to Dolly: And Beyond, A Life in Politics: Dennis Canavan, Devolution and the Arts, Young Peoples Question Time, Burns' Radical Voice and Love But Her

Andy Cannon Pays Tribute To Robert Burns

The Wee Stories man recreates the bard's work with a wry smile in child friendly performance

Were he alive today, you get the feeling Robert Burns would like Andy Cannon. In him, the Scottish bard would recognise a fellow storyteller with a love of his nation, and a knack for entertaining the masses with wit and charm. Best known for his work…

The Scottish Parliament Debate: Past, Present and Future

BBC Scotland's political editor Brian Taylor chairs views on parliament's many issues

It’s now ten long years since Winnie Ewing, as the oldest member of the newly reformed institution, declared: ‘the Scottish Parliament, adjourned on the 25th day of March in the year 1707, is hereby reconvened.’ In the period since devolution, the…

Annie Lennox cancels festival appearance

The Festival of Politics was dealt a blow last week after one of its headliners, Annie Lennox, was forced to pull out of her appearance at the Scottish Parliament. Holyrood cited ill health for the no-show and Lennox released a statement saying that she…

Festival of Politics

Meanwhile, over at the Scottish Parliament... the Festival of Politics is back for a fourth year and making visiting Fringe slebs really work for their money, as Simon Callow leads a discussion on changing rights for LGBT communities in the UK, and…