Politics

Storyville: Mandelson - The Real PM

Channel Hopper

Winston Churchill once described Labour’s postwar deputy PM Herbert Morrison as a mix of ‘genius and venom’. A lot worse has been said about Morrison’s grandson Peter Mandelson, the Prince of Darkness (aka the Dark Lord) and key architect of New Labour…

PJ O'Rourke - Don’t Vote! It Just Encourages the Bastards

Caustic witticisms from Ohio-born Gonzo graduate not for everyone

(Grove Press) They say that the natural tendency is to get more right-wing with age. Few American political commentators embody this ethical shift more than PJ O’Rourke. A former ‘hippie’ turned Republican Party Reptile, it would be easy to loathe…

Steve Bell - If . . . Bursts Out

Hilarious and hurtful collection of vibrantly satiric strips

(Jonathan Cape) When Ed Miliband was elected leader of the Labour Party, the Guardian website ran footage of cartoonist Steve Bell turning his observations of the new man at the podium into a mocking cartoon. As Bell takes up his spot near the front…

Family weekend: Rebels with a Cause – The Jacobites and the Global Imagination

Traditional music, egg decorating and quiz among highlights of weekend of free children's events

Rebels with a Cause – The Jacobites and the Global Imagination Wednesday 27 October to Saturday 8 January (closed Sundays except Sunday 28 November and 24 - 28, 31 December and 1 - 3 January) Monday and Friday 10:00 - 16.00 (last entry 15:30)…

Take One Action film festival showcases best in political cinema

Budrus, Nero’s Guests and Sweet Crude among highlights of 2010

Take One Action! should have enough films in their 2010 programme to get the most politically slothful citizen socially activated. The film Budrus focuses on small actions leading to big results, with villagers in the little titular town taking things…

The Special Relationship

(15) 88min (Optimum) The third part of writer Peter Morgan’s excellent ‘Blair trilogy’ focuses on the relationship between the former PM and US president Bill Clinton. While Blair will probably be primarily remembered for what many perceive to have…

Glasgow walk encourages critical engagement with centre

Guided walk of city explores use of urban space

The skyscraper-crammed stretch of city centre basking in the title Glasgow’s International Financial Services District is a strange place at the best of times. During the day, the tower blocks are full of call-centre workers; at night the street corners…

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…

Gary Younge visits the Edinburgh Book Festival

Exploring issues of identity across this mad world

Returning to Edinburgh holds bittersweet memories for Gary Younge. He was in the city as a student in the late 80s, studying Russian and French at Heriot-Watt and was awestruck by the geography of his new surroundings. ‘Having grown up in Stevenage…

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…

The Shock Doctrine

Second adaptation of Naomi Klein’s capitalism analysis

(E) 79min (Dogwoof) Not to be confused with Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón’s 2007 short, this second adaptation of Naomi Klein’s chilling book about the evils of modern capitalism is the full-length 2009 documentary co-directed by Michael…

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…

How American journalist Heather Brooke became a threat to UK democracy

Five year investigation uncovers parliamentary expenses scandal

In the introduction to her book, The Silent State, Heather Brooke describes herself as a ‘nosey parker’. Whereas some people can’t walk past a curtain without needing to twitch it, Brooke has a yearning to poke around into the lives of those authority…

Videocracy

(15) 84min ‘Television and power are one and the same here,’ narrates Italian-born and Swedish-based director Eric Gandini in this fascinating portrait of Silvio Berlusconi’s Italy. Over the past three decades Berlusconi, the current Prime Minister…

Ballot proof - the people putting the fun into election night

It’s no Obama showdown, we grant you, but by Blighty’s efforts, vote night is hotting up. Just when we thought Gordy was a goner, and ‘im in the blue corner was in, Nick’s not looking quite so knacked, after a ‘winning’ performance on the live…

The People’s Manifesto - Mark Thomas interview

Political reform may sound like a task filled with difficult problems, but as Mark Thomas explains; we already have all the answers. While touring last year’s “it’s the stupid economy” show Mark asked audiences to suggest policies to sort out British…

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…

Adam Thirlwell's latest novel - The Escape

There’s a scene at the end of Adam Thirlwell’s The Escape in which its British Jewish protagonist Raphael Haffner attempts to explain the concept of a draw in cricket to an American friend. This idea acts as a neat allegory of the book’s plot, in which…

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…

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

Pride Scotia

Scotland’s bi-annual LGBT celebration, Pride Scotia is returning to the capital with its usual array of provocative and outrageous happenings. Revellers are asked to assemble at noon on Sat 27 Jun at the City Chambers for speeches from local politicians…