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27 May 2014

Press release

Top Scottish politicians in referendum debates hosted by evangelical churches

Deputy first minister Nicola Sturgeon and Scottish Labour Party Leader Johan Lamont will go head-to-head when they appear at a hustings event in Glasgow.

It is part of a series of debates organised by the Evangelical Alliance Scotlandthat will see a number of high-powered candidates face each other and the public throughout the country in the run-up to the referendum. The two politicians caused controversy in February after a series of heated confrontations during a similar debate screened by STV.

The Seven Cities Tour will provide the opportunity for politicians from the SNP, Labour, Conservatives and Lib Dems to answers burning questions from evangelical Christians in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Perth and Stirling starting 2 June.

Last month, the Alliance released its referendum manifesto What Kind of Nation? calling on politicians to broaden the debate from its narrow economic focus and allow the views of ordinary people to be heard on issues of poverty, welfare, investment incentives for the wealthy.

The manifesto contained 38 recommendations on the economy, the family, civil society and the environment which Fred Drummond, national director of the Alliance in Scotland, says are issues he expects will be raised during these debates.

The Alliance represents more than 750 organisations and two million evangelical Christians in 3,500 churches across 79 denominations in Scotland and the UK.

Seven Cities Tour itinerary

PERTH – Monday 2 June: Letham St Mark’s Church of Scotland, 7.30pm. 
Roseanna Cunningham MSP (Minister for Communities) 
Willie Rennie MSP (Leader of Scottish Liberal Democrats), 
Murdo Fraser MSP (Former Deputy Leader of Scottish Conservatives) 


EDINBURGH – Wednesday 4 June: Central Hall, 7.30pm. 

Kenny MacAskill MSP (Cabinet Secretary for Justice) 
Dave Thompson MSP, Chair, Christians for Independence 

GLASGOW – Friday 13 June: Queen’s Park Baptist Church, 7.30pm. 
Nicola Sturgeon MSP (Deputy First Minister) 
Johann Lamont MSP (Leader of Labour Party in Scotland) 
Annabel Goldie MSP (Former Leader of Scottish Conservatives) 
John Mason MSP 

ABERDEEN – Monday 16 June: Gerrard Street Baptist Church, 7.30pm. 
Nigel Don MSP 
Alex Johnstone MSP 
Lewis MacDonald MSP 

STIRLING – Friday 20 June: Stirling Baptist Church, 7.30pm. 
Alex Neil MSP (Cabinet Secretary for Health)
Jim Murphy MP (Shadow Secretary of State for International Development) 

DUNDEE – Monday 23 June: St Peter’s Free Church, 7.30pm. 
Shona Robison MSP (Cabinet Secretary for Sport and Commonwealth Games) 
Jenny Marra MSP (Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Justice) 

INVERNESS – Saturday 28 June: Smithton Culloden Free Church, 7.30pm. 
Rhoda Grant MSP 
Dave Thompson MSP

All events will have two speakers from Yes Scotland and Better Together. Each event will allow for the panellists to share their vision for Scotland before taking questions on how the independence referendum will affect the four pillars outlined in What Kind of Nation? – economy, family, civil society and the environment. Panellists will also be allowed short closing speeches.

There will be opportunities for photos and interviews at each event with Evangelical Alliance Scotland spokespersons and panellists who consent. Requests for interviews with panellists should be sent in advance to allow the greatest likelihood of interview time.

Further information about What Kind of Nation? can be found at: www.eauk.org/scotland

Media Enquiries

Kieran Turner 
Evangelical Alliance Scotland, Glasgow
07825 214 874 
info@eauk.org 

Terry Ally 
Evangelical Alliance,
020 7520 3853 
07734 194 445 
info@eauk.org 

Notes to Editors

The Evangelical Alliance
We are the largest and oldest body representing the UK’s two million evangelical Christians. For more than 165 years, we have been bringing Christians together and helping them listen to, and be heard by, the government, media and society. We’re here to connect people for a shared mission, whether it’s celebrating the Bible, making a difference in our communities or lobbying the government for a better society. From Skye to Southampton, from Coleraine to Cardiff, we work across 79 denominations, 3,500 churches, 750 organisations and thousands of individual members. And we're not just uniting Christians within the UK – we are a founding member of the World Evangelical Alliance, a global network of more than 600 million evangelical Christians. For more information, go to www.eauk.org.