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ESRC conference tackles major issues around referendum

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The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is holding a major two-day conference in Edinburgh today and Friday (2-3 May) tackling issues around the independence referendum. 

The conference is part of the ESRC's Future of the UK and Scotland programme of activities, which supports the work of researchers in Scotland and across the UK to inform the referendum debate and policy environment, whatever the outcome. 

Research Fellows, academics, policy makers, business organisations, charities and representatives of the two referendum campaigns will be attending. Fiona Hyslop, MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, Scottish Government, will speak at the end of Thursday’s sessions. The Rt Hon Alistair Darling, MP, leader of the Better Together campaign, will speak at the end of Friday’s sessions.

Over 100 school pupils will also be taking part in a debate on the future of the UK and Scotland as part of the conference at the John McIntyre Conference Centre, University of Edinburgh.  

Presentations at the conference include:

UK and International relations:

  • International reactions to the Scottish Referendum from Professor William Walker of the University of St Andrews
  • The referendum in a European context from Dr Fabian Zuleeg, Chief Economist, European Policy Centre
  • W(h)ither Britain? from Professor Richard Wyn Jones, Cardiff University

Constitutional relations:

  • An exploration of Scottish-UK relations after independence from Dr Nicola McEwen, Academy of Government
  • The continuing historic question of how Scotland relates to the United Kingdom from Professor James Mitchell, the University of Edinburgh

Scottish Economy:

  • Scottish Independence: the fiscal context from Paul Johnson of Institute for Fiscal Studies
  • Scotland’s economic future from Professor Peter Sinclair, University of Birmingham
  • Scotland’s Currency Options: a Monetary Union? from Dr Angus Armstrong, NIESR

ESRC Press Office:

Notes for editors

  1. The Economic and Social Research Council(ESRC) is the UK's largest organisation for funding research on economic and social issues. It supports independent high quality research which has an impact on business, the public sector and the third sector. The ESRC's total budget for 2012/13 is £205 million.
  2. More details about the ESRC's Future of the UK and Scotland programme of activities are available at: www.esrc.ac.uk/scotland. Follow us on Twitter: @ESRCUKScotland. Conference tweets: #UKandScotland

Sarah Nichols
Email: sarah.nichols@esrc.ac.uk
Telephone 01793 413122

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)

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Scottish Independence