Humza Yousaf took SNP politicians and activists to the blistering cold of Aberdeen this week to host his first party conference as SNP leader. Yousaf was under great personal stress with his wife’s family currently trapped in Gaza and the event had a sombre tone to it, not helped by an audience turnout that didn’t quite manage to fill the main hall. Off the back of a disappointing defeat in the Rutherglen by-election, a defection of one of his own MPs to the Tory party and polling predicting that Yousaf’s party might lose over half of their Westminster seats to Labour next year, there was a lot hinging on the Aberdeen meet. So, six months into his premiership, has Yousaf’s conference managed to turn the SNP’s fortunes around?
The conference’s first day saw a debate on the SNP’s independence strategy play out. Activists took to the main stage to propose and query amendments, with one member calling for a ‘fully treasonous attitude towards Westminster’ while another described the party’s separatist strategy as ‘flatulence in a trance’. Though some, like veteran MP Pete Wishart, called for a return to Nicola Sturgeon’s ‘de facto’ strategy to the table, the crowd ultimately voted in favour of Yousaf’s revised plan: that winning a majority of Scotland’s seats (at least 29) in the next election will provide the party with a mandate for independence negotiations.
It seems unlikely that this will convince pro-Indy voters that independence is within reach however – the SNP has won more than 29 seats in recent general elections, yet Westminster has not changed its stance on Indyref2. The focus on seats is significant, though: nationalists are worried that as the chance of a UK Labour win in 2024 becomes more likely, and as Starmer continues to emphasise the importance of Scotland in securing a comfortable victory, voters will turn to Anas Sarwar’s party to prioritise kicking the Tories out of Westminster. The SNP, therefore, have to try and avoid more losses to Scottish Labour.
And the relevance of this debate seemed to pale further as Yousaf announced in his keynote speech today that ‘it is not process arguments that will achieve our goal’. Instead, the First Minister argues, ‘sustained majority’ support will come about when the SNP focuses ‘not on the how – but on the why’. Yousaf’s new approach is to ‘inextricably link’ the need for independence to the cost-of-living crisis, trying to position his as the party that is best placed to change the country’s economic fortunes while still maintaining the argument for secession is necessary.
‘Page one line one of our manifesto will say “vote SNP for Scotland to become an independent country’,’’ he told the conference hall today. ‘Independence is about building a better Scotland… It’s about raising living standards. It’s about protecting our NHS. Above all, it’s about a new wellbeing economy.’ The change in tack follows criticism that the nationalists aren’t listening to what the polls are saying: that independence is simply not a top priority for Scottish people. But after seeing the SNP in power for the last 16 years, and peoples’ living situations becoming worse particularly in recent times, Yousaf will need more than a good speech to convince voters not to desert his party. Keeping the SNP relevant means ensuring that its promises are delivered upon – and that people feel better off under its leadership.
Where all this money will come from isn’t entirely clear
The recent Rutherglen by-election defeat – which saw Labour win the seat with a 20 per cent swing – should be viewed as motivation, Yousaf told his membership. ‘We roll up our sleeves and we work harder than ever before for the people of Scotland,’ he said, before launching into an announcement-heavy speech. The SNP will freeze council tax, invest millions in the NHS, Scotland’s culture and arts scene and offshore wind, as well as issuing Scotland’s first ever bond to fund infrastructure. Where all this money will come from isn’t entirely clear – but Yousaf’s vision is certainly emerging as being more pro-business and economically strategic. Perhaps a nod to repairing tensions within his own party after Fergus Ewing MSP was recently suspended, Yousaf paraphrased his mother, the late SNP ‘trailblazer’ Winnie Ewing: ‘With the SNP, Scotland is joining the world.’
Attacking his rivals, Yousaf heralded the SNP as a party of principles. ‘That is how I am going to lead this party forward,’ he announced today. ‘It starts by standing by our values.’ Labelling the Tories as ‘extremists’, Yousaf referred to Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s Tory conference speech as using ‘dog-whistle language’ that ‘makes me shudder’ and announced that the Tories were ‘done’. ‘Good riddance!’ he cried, to whoops from the crowd.
His line on Labour echoed the SNP’s tactics from the recent by-election, setting out Keir Starmer as a power-hungry politician with a tendency to U-turn. Exampling the ‘rape clause’, Yousaf slammed the UK Labour leader for being unable to commit to scrapping unpopular Tory policies. ‘When it comes to values, I’ve got absolutely no idea what Keir Starmer stands for,’ he told his conference. ‘The closer he gets to Downing Street, the further he retreats from his principles.’ Yet given the SNP has faced criticism over its lacking transparency – from some of its own politicians no less – and while the police investigation into party finances hangs over Yousaf’s head, positioning itself as the ‘party of values’ doesn’t seem the most logical approach.
Yousaf’s speech today certainly presented a more coherent vision for Scotland than anything else the SNP has put forward in recent months. From public service investment to attracting international business to Scotland, the First Minister’s proposals sound promising – if, at present, lacking in detail. Questions remain about the specifics – for example: where will the £300 million investment into the NHS come from, exactly, and how will it be spent? – but the SNP’s broad-ranging proposals will certainly have pricked up the ears of those who had all but given up on the nationalists as being a business-friendly party. As ever though, delivery is key and Scottish voters will ultimately choose whichever party they believe will leave them more well off. After 16 years in power, the SNP has a lot of work to do if they are to claw back disillusioned supporters.
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