Our politics in a time of war

What do those who wish to represent us in our Scottish Parliament say about war and militarism - as well as about our environment and the economy?

The spiralling conflict just initiated by the US and Israel makes these questions ever more urgent - and it's timely that Scottish CND have just announced their Scottish Elections hustings, organised in partnership with a wide range of other progressive and anti-militarist organisations and campaigns.

This important event will take place in Edinburgh on Thursday evening, 26 March: click here for more details and to book your ticket.

Alex Kerr, the national secretary of the SNP has confirmed his participation, together with the Greens' Ross Greer and Colin Fox of the Scottish Socialist Party.

We sincerely look forward to other invited parties nominating their representatives at this event: Reform, Labour, the Conservatives and the Lib Dems.

The context is urgent. A Scottish CND newsletter states that 'this week we saw another illegal attack by the US and Israel in Iran, which has already expanded considerably beyond the scope of the last bombing campaign in 2025. Just as in last year's 12-day war, the attack came during US-Iran nuclear deal negotiations, which was reliably reported to be progressing in a positive direction ... the UK military is now embroiled in operations in the Middle-East. But Keir Starmer's initial assertion that the UK was not involved in the initial attacks on Iran is dubious'.

As the organisers of the hustings say, 'in an election with high stakes, during a time at which international instability is increatsingly impacting Scotland, this is an opportunity to hear directly from Scotland's major parties on their prospectus for the country'.

Published 6 March 2026

The other organisations helping to co-ordinate this event are: Campaign Against the Arms Trade Scotland, CommonWeal, Don’t’ Bank on the Bomb Scotland, Edinburgh Climate Coalition, Gareloch Horties, Medact Scotland, Pax Christi Scotland, Peace and Justice, Poverty Alliance, Quakers for Peace, Scottish Peace Network, Scottish Trade Union Peace Network, SCRAM Scottish Campaign Against the Atomic Menace, Secure Scotland, Stop the War Scotland, Trident Ploughshares, UN House Scotland, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Scotland