Line-up revealed for The Scotsman and Scotland 2050 hustings
The hustings on March 31 will be your chance to grill politicians on the issues that matter to you
Representatives from every political party in Holyrood will face a grilling at a special hustings in Edinburgh next week.
The event, hosted by Scotland 2050 in association with The Scotsman, will allow attendees to quiz key players from all six major parties.
Housing Secretary Màiri McAllan, widely seen as one of the SNP’s most promising talents, will represent the Nationalists.
Ms McAllan is often spoken of as a potential next first minister and has already held several big roles in government.
Malcolm Offord, the leader of Reform UK in Scotland, will be there to represent his party.
Lord Offord defected to Reform from the Conservatives in December and was unveiled as the party’s new Scottish leader by Nigel Farage in January.
He was made a life peer in 2021, and served as a Scotland Office minister and business minister in the previous Tory administration at Westminster.
Daniel Johnson will represent Labour. The Edinburgh Southern MSP was first elected in 2016 and is his party’s economy spokesman, and is well-respected across party lines.
Murdo Fraser, an MSP for the Mid Scotland and Fife region since 2001, will represent the Scottish Conservatives.
Having twice stood for the party leadership, Mr Fraser is one of Holyrood’s most experienced parliamentarians and also leads on economy issues.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton will answer questions on behalf of his party.
Mr Cole-Hamilton has been the MSP for Edinburgh Western since 2016. At the 2021 Holyrood election, he received 25,578 votes, the highest number ever cast for a single candidate.
Patrick Harvie, the former co-leader of the Scottish Greens, will represent his party. Mr Harvie has been an MSP for the Glasgow region since 2003.
He made history in 2021 when he led the Greens into government as part of a power-sharing relationship with the SNP, which collapsed in 2024.
Barrie Cunning, the founder of Scotland 2050, which hosted a special one-day conference last year attended by Mr Swinney and Mr Sarwar, said: "At the heart of the Scotland 2050 ambition is a platform to give the people of Scotland a voice about how they would like to see the future direction of Scotland go.
“The Scotland 2050 hustings is the ideal opportunity to be a part of shaping that direction, as it affords people the opportunity to ask questions directly to those looking to be in power in Scotland for the next five years.
“But going beyond the hustings, Scotland 2050 is a progressive vehicle that advocates consensus working amongst politicians, irrespective of party colours, who are motivated by doing what is in the best interests of the people of Scotland.
“But to achieve that we need to have a long-term plan that transcends the parliamentary cycle and addresses the real structural issues affecting Scotland if we want to see real progressive change happen.”
Tickets for the event at the Assembly Rooms on March 31 are free, but space is limited, so reserve your spot now via Eventbrite.
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