THE SNP is asking Scots to “put trust in themselves”, the party’s Westminster leader is expected to say in a speech to conference.
Speaking for the first time at the annual gathering since taking over from Ian Blackford last year, Stephen Flynn will open the conference on Sunday.
Ahead of a key debate on the party’s approach to independence, Flynn is expected to say: “The real choice at the general election actually boils down to this.
“The Westminster parties are asking the Scottish people to trust them to fix the unfixable – broken Brexit Britain.
“We are asking something – and we are offering something – deeply different.
“We are asking the Scottish people to put trust in themselves – to take powers and our future into our own hands.
“We are offering the opportunity to build a new, independent Scotland.”
Flynn is also expected to paint the SNP as the “party of real change” ahead of the general election, pitting them against a Labour Party currently ahead in the polls.
“The powers we have are not enough to meet our potential and they are not nearly enough to meet the challenge of this cost-of-living crisis,” he will say.
“And I don’t know about you, but I for one am tired of this false debate that says we either focus on independence or on the cost-of-living crisis.
“The cost-of-living crisis is a direct consequence of the constitutional status quo.
“Unfair, unequal – broken, backwards, Brexit Britain is the very reason why people can’t pay their bills. It is a cost-of-Westminster crisis.”
Addressing delegates, he will point to increased powers Scotland could have over energy, the economy, employment law, rejoining the EU and fighting poverty if it were an independent country.
“If you believe that independence is normal and needed now more than ever – then we are the party of real change,” he will say.
“This is our vision.
“And its greatest strength is that it will always, always be bigger, bolder and beyond anything those parties backing Brexit Britain can ever offer.
“It is the unfinished business of the movement that has brought us all here.
“It is the real change that the Scottish people are crying out for.”
The Westminster leader’s remarks will open a decisive conference for the party, with a key decision due to be made on its approach to independence on Sunday afternoon.
A leadership motion before the conference would see the party winning a plurality of seats in Scotland at the next election as enough to negotiate with Westminster to put the mandate into “democratic effect” – which could include a referendum.
Although media reports suggest this could be changed to a majority of seats.
