SNPCND AGM 10am (coffee/tea biscuits from 9:30)

Conference 11:00

"Scotland After Trident: A Defence and Security Strategy for an Independent Scotland”

This one day conference will examine and debate the issues raised and the suggestions made in the Commonweal White Paper "A Defence and Security Strategy for an Independent Scotland". You can read or download the paper on Commonspace: https://www.commonspace.scot/articles/12144/report-towards-defence-security-strategy-independent-scotland.

Chairs

Isobel Lindsay, Jean Anderson

Speakers: Garry MacDonald, the author of the paper; Robin McAlpine, Director of Commonweal; Lt. Col. Stuart Crawford, former army officer and commentator on Scottish military affairs; Bill Ramsay, Convenor of SNPCND, Douglas Chapman MP, SNP spokesperson on defence procurement.

See below for more information on the speakers - and you'll see why this will be a real and influential debate.

Programme

Everyone is welcome to the conference which starts at 11:00.

The SNPCND AGM will start at 10am. This is for people who are SNP and Scottish CND members. Papers and agenda are available on the SNPCND web site.

Speakers Information

Douglas Chapman MP

Member of Parliament for Dunfermline and West Fife.

SNP Spokesperson for Defence Procurement, Peace and Disarmament

(See https://douglaschapman.scot/about/ and

https://www.parliament.uk/biographies/commons/douglas-chapman/4402)

Title: Defending at Home, Creating Peace and Stability Abroad

Garry MacDonald



An independent policy consultant with experience advising political groups on defence and security issues.(See https://www.commonspace.scot/tags/garry-macdonald)

Title: Scottish Defence: Building a Stronger Case

When the next independence referendum comes we need to better articulate how Scotland will provide for its own defence.

Robin McAlpine

Director of Common Weal, a Scottish 'think and do tank' which campaigns for social and economic equality. He has worked for over 20 years in journalism, public affairs, political strategy and policy.

(See https://www.commonspace.scot/search/node/Robin%20McAlpine)

Title: A Secure Scotland: it’s not about bombs

In an era of big fears like global insecurity and the impact of climate change we live in a country with an undefended coastline and which wastes its investment on nuclear weapons rather than the wellbeing of its own people. Scotland can do much better than this, but we need to leave behind the British belief that the path to security can only be clear using bombs.

Lt. Col. Stuart Crawford

Former army officer and writer and commentator on Scottish military affairs. Author of “A’ The Blue Bonnets: Defending an independent Scotland” (RUSI, October 2012).

(See https://rusi.org/publication/whitehall-reports/blue-bonnets-defending-independent-scotland)

Title: Defending an independent Scotland Post-Brexit

An independent Scotland’s defence force will have to cut its coat according to its cloth, specialising to contribute internationally and taking maximum advantage of military alliances to cover gaps in its capabilities”.

Bill Ramsay

Convener of SNP CND and Vice President of the Educational Institute of Scotland. Bill is a frequent contributor to Bella Caledonia and Commonspace on defence issues generally and nuclear issues in particular.

(See https://www.commonspace.scot/search/node/bill%20ramsay)

Title: Geopolitical Sleepy Hollow or Geopolitical Hothouse

Some national security determinants of an independent Scotland and its place in the world.

Getting there



There is a car park at the Albert Halls. The Halls are a 9 minute walk from the Stirling train station and 10 minutes from the bus station. MAP.