Scottish Election

3 May 2007

The Scottish Parliamentary Election is on 3 May, with the first local government elections under the new multi-member ward system on the same day.

To encourage churches and other groups to get involved in the election, by inviting candidates to a hustings meeting, SCPO and ACTS (Action of Churches Together in Scotland) have put together two leaflets (both of which can be downloaded and copied freely:

• one tells you how to organise a hustings meeting (download)

• the other suggests topics and questions to raise at such meetings. (download)

We have also invited 7 back-bench MSPs to tell us what the key issues are for them and their parties - these are available by following this link

The Churches were partners in a consortium of voluntary organisations who carried out (with help from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation) research on the impact of eight years of devolved government on the lives of people living in poverty in Scotland. Our aim was to let their voices be heard in the election debate, and to ensure that poverty is on the election agenda. Follow these links to find

• the full report: "Voices of People Experiencing Poverty in Scotland - Everyone Matters?"

• a summary of the findings

You can also download group Bible Studies, prepared for the election by "Unlock Glasgow" and the Poverty Alliance, with the title "The Scottish Elections and the Bible - Taking Forward the Struggle Against Poverty in Scotland" (download)

If you do organise a meeting, please let us know and we will put a list of meetings on this website.

Hustings Meetings notified so far:

Wishaw - Thursday 19 April 7.30pm South Wishaw West Church Halls, West Thornlie St, Wishaw

Perth - Friday 20 April 7.30pm AKBell Library Theatre, York Place, Perth

Dalgety Bay - Friday 20 April 7.30pm Dalgety Parish Church, Dalgety Bay

Moray - Friday 20 April 7.30pm Holy Trinity Church Hall, Trinity Place, Elgin

Newington - Sunday 22 April 3pm Community Church, King's Hall, South Clerk St, Edinburgh

Barlanark (Glasgow) - Sunday 22 April 7.30pm Barlanark Greyfriars Church Hall

Baillieston - Sunday 22 April 7.30pm Greyfriars Barlanark Church, Hallhill Rd, Barlanark, Glasgow

Balloch - Monday 23 April 7.30pm St Kessog's Church Hall, Balloch

Liberton - Tuesday 24 April 7.30pm Liberton Northfield Church, Gilmerton Rd, Edinburgh

Glasgow (Cathcart) - Wednesday 25 April 7.30pm Mount Florida Church Memorial Hall, 1123 Cathcart Road, Mount Florida

Perth - Wednesday 25 April 7.30pm St Matthew's Church Hall, Tay Street, Perth (Environmental Focus)

Kinross - Wednesday 25 April 7.30pm Kinross Parish Church

Milngavie - Wednesday 25 April St Paul's Church Hall, Milngavie

Edinburgh - Thursday 26 April 7pm Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh (Poverty Focus)

Glasgow - Thursday 26 April 7pm Renfield St Stephens Church Centre, 260 Bath St, Glasgow (Poverty Focus)

Aberdeen - Thursday 26 April 7pm Aberdeen Foyer, Marywell St, Aberdeen (Poverty Focus)

Alloa - Thursday 26 April 7.30pm Alloa Baptist Church

Burnside (Rutherglen) - Thursday 26 April 7.30pm Burnside Blairbeth Church, Church Avenue, Burnside

Kilmarnock - Thursday 26 April 7.30pm Henderson Church Hall, London Road, Kilmarnock

Edinburgh South - Thursday 26 April 7.30pm Marchmont St Giles Church, Kingston Road, Edinburgh

Clydebank - Thursday 26 April 7.30pm St Margaret's Church Hall, Whitecrook, Clydebank

Lanark - Sunday 29 April 7pm Greyfriars Parish Church, Bloomgate, Lanark

Linlithgow - Sunday 29 April 7.30pm St Michael's Kirk Hall, Linlithgow

Below are links to political parties' websites where you can find other election info. We hope to offer links to manifestos when they are published.