HUMZA Yousaf has said the SNP conference getting under way today will be one of the “most important in years” for the party, with a need to decide on independence strategy and for the party to unite.
The First Minister sent a warning message to those “causing divisions” in the SNP, saying that it risks not just support for the party but destabilising the “entire cause of independence”.
In an interview with the Sunday National ahead of the party conference, which begins in Aberdeen today, he also said the SNP had to make sure it was still delivering on the “issues that really matter to people”.
He pledged his first speech to the party conference as leader on Tuesday will not just be “rhetoric”, but have a focus on policy delivery around issues such as the cost of living crisis.
The run-up to the annual gathering of party members saw a heavy by-election defeat for the SNP in Rutherglen and Hamilton West, followed by the defection of MP Lisa Cameron to the Tories.
Yousaf said the conference would be one of the most important the party has had in recent years – and not just because of the decision on the way forward for the independence strategy which will take place today.
He said: “I say that not just because of the criticality of setting a coherent strategy for the General Election, but it is so important in order to come out of that conference united. I can’t stress that strongly enough.
“We faced a really heavy defeat in Rutherglen and with all the contextual factors not withstanding, parties that are divided are not going to win elections. If the SNP are not winning elections then the independence cause will not advance.
“Even if we are round about 50%, even if we are over 50%, if the SNP as the biggest vehicle driving forward the independence cause are not electorally successful, then we are not going to achieve independence.”
This year’s conference will be very different from the gathering which took place in 2022.
This time last year, Nicola Sturgeon (below) was leader and the outcome of the Supreme Court ruling on whether Holyrood had the powers to hold a referendum was yet to be known.
Since then, along with a leadership contest, there has been a police investigation into the party’s finances – which is still ongoing – and polls suggesting a looming threat from Labour for Scottish seats at Westminster.
But asked about the expected mood at conference, Yousaf said he expected there would be little difference to previous years.
“Conference has always been a jubilant mood because people view ourselves – rightly, I think – as a family,” he said.
“Let’s also not escape the fact it has been a difficult six months for all the reasons that have been well rehearsed.
“We should go into that conference in absolute jubilant mood because we continue to be the party that has the most MPs – more than other parties combined.
“We have the most councillors, we are the party that despite all of the challenges continues to lead other political parties.
“We don’t take that for granted, we are not complacent about it, but we are a party that still enjoys the biggest mass membership of any political party in the country.
“So we go in a position of strength and we should leave that conference united with the aim of securing our country’s independence.”
He added: “The other thing I would say to the party is take heart from the fact that, again with all the challenges that have been thrown at us in the last six months, support for independence continues to be rock solid.”
During the key debate on independence strategy taking place today, Yousaf will back an amendment which will change his proposal for a mandate from winning the “most” to “majority” of Westminster seats – which he said was to help unity in the party.
To see off the challenge from Labour, Yousaf said it was vital that – once that debate on this is over – the party moves on from talking about process to start taking about policy.
He said independence has to be “relevant” and “inextricably” linked to issues dominating people’s lives today – the cost of living crisis, the NHS and public services and the economy.
“I’ve read some people’s suggestions we should be toning independence down – I think the very opposite, we should be ramping the campaign for independence up,” he said.
“Not a process argument, as that will have been done, but ramping up what independence means to people.”
In his conference speech on Tuesday, he said he will highlight what the SNP have delivered – but also emphasise that they must continue to do so.
“People need to see us as the party for delivery, that is why they have trusted us for 16 years in government. We have got to make sure we are delivering,” he said.
“So this will be a speech which will not just be rhetoric but will be around policy delivery – we are looking to see what we can do around policy delivery.
“And it has got to be around the cost of living crisis, it’s got to be around public services and it’s got to be around our economy – those are the top three issues now and independence links into all of those.
“I want to make a speech that gets our troops motivated, but it also is a speech that has some serious substance and policy content, too.”
When asked about the one message he would send to SNP members, Yousaf it would “absolutely” be around party unity.
“There is nothing wrong with having differences of opinion, nothing wrong with having disagreements,” he said.
“But then we should come together as a party because there should be one primary reason that you are in the SNP and one primary driving force that you are in the SNP – and that is to advance the cause of independence. If you are not motivated by advancing the cause of independence, I don’t know why you are in the SNP.”
He added: “If we want to advance the cause of independence, the SNP have to be strong, the party has to be united.
“Anyone that is causing those divisions risks not just the SNP falling backwards but risks destabilising the entire cause of independence.”
