Marie's Role
Co-Founder
Organisation Type
Charity
John Smith Centre | Politics in Schools – National Rollout of Political Conversations
Political Conversations is an innovative schools-based initiative designed to strengthen democratic engagement among young people and encourage respectful, constructive political dialogue. Developed in partnership with the John Smith Centre, the programme brings senior political figures from across the political spectrum into secondary schools to engage directly with students. Through open discussion and debate, Political Conversations aims to counter political disengagement and demonstrate that politics can be thoughtful, civil, and inclusive.
Marie supported the initial pilot programme launched successfully in 2025 at her former school – Kilmarnock academy, (read full PR from this event) with this and further sessions showing strong engagement from students and educators alike. By creating a safe and structured environment for dialogue, the initiative allows young people to explore political ideas, ask challenging questions, to this in public service and develop confidence in expressing their views in a way that is relevant, accessible, and impactful for young audiences.
As co-founder of Political Conversations, Marie has played a central role in shaping the initiative from its outset and has committed to support the pioneering initiative across 2026. Looking ahead, Marie is excited to continue working closely with the John Smith Centre throughout 2026 as the programme develops and expands to new schools and strengthens its contribution to building a healthier democratic culture for the next generation.
Find out more about the John Smith Centre
We will be providing updates on the project progress here – so watch this space.
Marie backs expansion of John Smith Centre’s Political Conversations initiative in schools
Thursday 15th January 2026
Project can be “beacon of light” amid polarisation
Marie today confirmed that she has agreed to support the University of Glasgow’s John Smith Centre in developing the next phase of their “Political Conversations” initiative.
The project involves experienced figures from the world of politics taking part in debate with each other in secondary school settings in front of an audience of senior level pupils, whilst also engaging directly with the students themselves.
It is unique in its ambition of seeking to involve and enthuse young people with the political process by means of direct engagement with senior politicians.
As part of the expansion of the initiative in 2026, including visits to the Scottish Parliament and a major conference hosted at Glasgow University, Marie has agreed to provide the John Smith Centre with seed funding in order to expand the programme’s scope and reach.
Commenting, Dr Marie Macklin CBE, Co-Founder of the initiative, said:
“I am delighted to be supporting the John Smith Centre in rolling out the next phase of the Political Conversations initiative in schools.
“The project got off to a fantastic start last year, with the launch of the pilot event at my former school, Kilmarnock Academy. It saw two pupils, Carolina Sharp and Devlyn Ritchie, recognised by the John Smith Centre for their thoughtful reflections on the event, which were then published by the Centre.
“Due to the huge success of the pilot – which was in no small part thanks to the participation of former Scottish Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw MSP and former Scottish Government minister Alex Neil – it was clear there was a real appetite among young people for the kind of intelligent, engaged political discussion which this initiative brings to schools.
“It was also evident that there was scope for a wider rollout of the project, and that is why I have agreed to support the JSC as they look to expand it.
“At the start of another election year in Scotland, it is more important than ever that younger people are enthused and engaged by the political process.
“The future of our democracy depends to a significant extent on ensuring that enough young people with the talent and aptitude to lead are encouraged to put themselves forward to take part in the political process.
“In a political climate which is too often beset by tribalism, polarisation and toxicity, Political Conversations can be a beacon that lights the way forward.”
Read full statement.
The John Smith Centre is beginning 2026 by announcing a major expansion of its new schools programme, “Political Conversations”.
JOHN SMITH CENTRE | Wednesday 14th January 2026
In partnership with entrepreneur Dr Marie Macklin CBE, the centre will take S5 and S6 students from schools across the west of Scotland to the Scottish Parliament at the end of this month.
The students, who study politics and modern studies, will be given a unique opportunity to take part in a “live” committee meeting. Up for debate will be the question of whether to ban mobile phones for under 16-year-olds.
Schools taking part include Kilmarnock Academy, John Paul Academy in Glasgow, and four schools in West Dunbartonshire: Clydebank High School, Dumbarton Academy, Our Lady and St Patrick’s High School and St Peter the Apostle High School.
The Centre is working with schools that are in areas of multiple deprivation as part of our mission to provide opportunities for all young people who wish to get involved and contribute to public service and public life.
The Centre’s schools programme is being generously supported by Dr Macklin, a former pupil at Kilmarnock Academy, which saw the first event last summer when politicians Alex Neil and Jackson Carlaw spoke to students.
The programme will culminate this summer with a one-day conference for all participating young people at the University of Glasgow.
Read full statement.
“It was really nice to see it in real life”: pupils from West of Scotland schools visit the Scottish Parliament
Friday 13th February 2026 | John Smith Centre | Political Conversations Blog Update
As co-founder of ‘Political Conversations’, one of Marie’s Special Projects, the following blog from the JSC website provides an update on the pioneering projects latest activity.
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Over the past couple of weeks, we have been busy delivering the second element of our brand-new schools programme, a bespoke visit to the Scottish Parliament.
One hundred pupils across the three schools participating in our pilot programme experienced a full day visit to the Scottish Parliament, which we delivered in partnership with the Scottish Parliament Education Service. It was particularly exciting for many of the S5 & S6 pupils as not only was it their first ever visit to the Scottish Parliament, but it was also their first visit to Edinburgh – there was much excitement on arrival at having a glimpse of Edinburgh Castle en route through the city.
The morning began with small group tours of the Parliament before an education session based around scrutiny and accountability within the Scottish Parliament, with a particular focus on the role of committees. This led nicely on to the afternoon session where, once refuelled by some lunch, pupils took part in a mock committee meeting on a topic they all had an opinion on: banning mobile phones in schools. With pupils taking on the role of either a witness or an MSP, a lively discussion ensued with pupils very much getting into their roles and the ‘MSPs’ enjoying the opportunity to interrogate the witnesses and employ some debating skills.
At the end of the day, the pupils reflected on how much they had enjoyed the event: “It’s been really good, I’ve had loads of fun and done lots” and how much they valued being able to be in the Parliament itself, compared to watching clips of it on a screen: “It was really nice to see it in person, in real life.”
We’re pleased to be delivering such a vital programme especially for young people who come from less privileged backgrounds and so, we are very grateful for the support of the programme’s co-founder Dr Marie Macklin CBE, who is generously funding this pilot.
The final element of the programme is still to come on Monday 8th June, as we host all the participating pupils for a Pupil Politics Conference at the University of Glasgow, so watch this space for our final update later in June.
View full blog on the JSC website with video and more images.
