"Good morning conference.
And welcome to Aberdeen.
You know, I was thinking, the last time we gathered here in this
magnificent city, we were looking ahead to the Holyrood
election.
At that point I don't think any of us were certain as to what was
going to come next
But we know now, don't we?
In May this year we saw our party record the biggest winning
margin in any Scottish Parliament election.
After 19 years in power, our party, the Scottish National Party,
defied the doom and gloom of the political commentators
Defied the misery and scaremongering of the Unionist
politicians
And delivered 58 seats in our national parliament.
A Parliament that now hosts the most pro-independence MSPs in its
history.
And friends, you should all be proud of what you have helped to
achieve
Because we beat the Lib Dems in Shetland for the first time
ever.
We beat the Tories in East Renfrewshire.
We beat Labour in the Secretary of State's own backyard of East
Lothian.
And we beat in Every. Single.
Constituency. Battle.
And conference do you know why that is?
It's because the Scottish National Party is no branch office
we don't take our orders from the Westminster establishment
we certainly don't take our orders from crypto billionaires
No, we take them only from the Scottish people
And they know that the SNP always stands up for Scotland.
And delegates, let us never be in any doubt that our electoral
success has far reaching consequences right across these
islands.
Consequences that lead right to the front door of Number 10,
Downing Street
And you don't need to take my word for that just ask
Because, be in no doubt, that the electoral success of our
friends in Plaid in Wales
And of ourselves here in Scotland
Ended the reign of yet another Westminster Prime Minister
Friends, the eighth Prime Minister to tumble during our time in
office
And that explains why Mr is so obsessed with and the Scottish National
Party
Because he knows
He understands
That for as long as the binds of their Union continues to burst
at the seams...
There is no possible way that any UK Prime Minister can seriously
survive
and it is on that note, conference, that I have some bad news for
the Labour Leader
We will never stop
We will never relent
We will never shy away from the battle to secure our nation's
independence
Our message to Mr Burnham is simple
If you do believe that the United Kingdom status quo is worth
saving
If you do believe that it is worth fighting for
Then bring it on, and let the people of Scotland decide
Conference,
There is also, of course, the possibility that this latest Prime
Minister isn't quite as confident as he lets on
After all, the Burnham Bounce in Scotland shows the SNP winning
over 40 seats in a General Election
A bounce so high he'd barely make it over what's left of
Hadrian's wall
But we can't, and won't let him off the hook
Because on one hand he openly talks to the people of Scotland
about returning to the legitimate democratic question of
Brexit
Yet states that he doesn't want to address the legitimate
democratic question of Scottish independence
It's almost like he has been taking advice from
The man who told us that he was a lifelong campaigner against the
House of Lords
Just as he was taking up a seat in the House of Lords
Anas, of course, took the route that most unionists tend to
take
Running the low road from Holyrood to Westminster
The public know that those with a real interest in Scotland's
future take the high road in the opposite direction
But, of course, when we speak of Anas
We must do so with a profound sense of sympathy for our old
friend
Yes, you did hear me right
It can't have been an easy summer for the Secretary of State for
Scotland losing his title as the most unpopular politician in
Scottish Labour
But conference, in all seriousness, as you spend the weekend here
in Aberdeen there is one thing I recommend you do.
Take a walk down the coast.
Not for the golden sands, the dolphins, or the breakfast rolls at
the Inversnecky.
But go to see Scotland's energy wealth in action.
The ships drifting in and out of the harbour.
The choppers shipping men and women out to our rigs.
The blades on the turbines of the world's largest floating
offshore windfarm turning.
Go to see the opportunity and value that rests on our
doorstep.
An energy industry that can and should support safe, secure, and
valuable jobs now and into the future.
An energy industry that can and should help us power homes,
schools, and village halls for decades to come.
Go to see what energy security looks like. What energy abundance
looks like. What world class natural resources and talent can
deliver.
And when you come back, ask why that wealth does not flow into
every home in Scotland.
Ask why people will this winter once again choose between heating
and eating.
Ask why we would possibly export jobs and import energy from
across the world, when it already exists on our doorstep.
And know that the answer is simple.
It's because we have allowed Westminster to control our resources
and our future.
In a world fraught with risk and challenge we must recognise the
strength of what we have here at home.
We must be serious about the opportunity it affords us.
And we must fight for the power to be put back in Scotland's
hands.
And conference,
When we do finally regain control over those powers, we must
build upon the work we are already doing to get our economy
growing.
Whether it is the multi-billion-pound dualling of the A9
The plan to dual to A96
The long-term solution at the Rest and Be Thankful
The new, soon to be delivered 4 major vessels for our western
isles
The seven smaller vessels currently being built
The two new vessels for the Northern Isles
The 69 new suburban trains
Or
The electrification of the fife and borders rail routes
Let it be known that it is the Scottish National Party who are
investing in Scotland's transport network and building for
Scotland's future...
Just as we are using the powers that we have to make life easier
for the public during this constant cost-of-living crisis
Whether that's the removal of peak rail fares.
Free bus travel for the elderly, disabled or young
Fairer food prices for those struggling at the supermarket
Or the £2 bus fare cap that already covers 60% of our nation's
land, benefitting half of her people.
It is our actions, it is our promises, it is our delivery that is
making a difference to the people we serve.
And conference, let me tell you that as I have travelled across
Scotland in recent months, I have beenable to see our economic
potential up close and personal.
We have strengths that other countries can only dream
of.
From farming to fintech.
From subsea engineering to satellite manufacturing.
From advanced robotics to AI research.
From semiconductors to scotch.
We have an economy that is bursting with ideas and potential
Now, I've seen some nonsense from the Labour Party about how we
should instead have an economy more like Manchester.
Friends, make no mistake -
Our comparison is to no city.
Scotland isn't a region.
Scotland is a nation.
Instead, our comparison must be to those independent states in
the EU.
Those independent states with higher productivity, lower poverty,
and better living standards.
Like Ireland which has just unveiled a cost-of-living budget
which cuts fuel duty for drivers, cuts costs on home heating, and
increases incomes for workers, parents and pensioners.
Whilst here, Westminster throws support at steelworks at
Scunthorpe, but shuts down our refinery at Grangemouth
So, conference, let them talk about Manchester.
They can have their Number 10 North.
We'll have our independence in Europe.
And that's the difference, isn't it.
The ambition of the Scottish National Party versus the narrow
Westminster vision.
We are the party of independence.
We have a vision for Scotland
Not rooted in memories of a country that was, but what our
country can be.
And friends, let me be clear with you all that we each have a
role to play in delivering that future
None of us more so, than our Party Leader
A man whose principles and moral rigour stand any test
A man whose conviction on independence has flowed through him his
entire life, in the service of Scotland.
Who was there when we secured our Parliament?
Who was there when we won in 2007?
Who was on the front line in 2014?
Who was there when we needed him in 2023?
Who was there when our party won a landslide in May?
And who will be there as we win our independence?
That's right - - with every single one of us
right by his side.
Now conference, before I go I just want to leave you with one
final message.
There is a reason our movement was the lynchpin of Andy Burnham's
speech.
Not , not .
Us. The SNP.
It is because constitutional change is coming.
75 years ago, two million Scots signed the Scottish National
Covenant, with a humble request of Scottish home rule.
Look at where we stand now.
3 nations in the UK whose leaders are committed to constitutional
change.
A British Prime Minister telling us we can have our independence
when the people of Scotland want it.
All of us should feel pride on how far our movement has
come.
To paraphrase John MacCormick "it's been a long race, but perhaps
the final lap is now in sight."
We are winning the argument.
We can see that by reading the newspapers or listening to the
panic of Unionist politicians.
But there is no shortcut.
There is no political wheeze that can change the task ahead of
us.
One by one we must persuade our families, our friends and our
neighbours of our cause.
One by one. Step by step.
It takes effort. It takes patient persuasion. It takes the hard
graft.
But we can see that it is working.
And it is precisely because it is working, that the period ahead
will be the greatest challenge our movement has ever faced.
But with the weight of Scottish public opinion moving to our
cause
- we will see that final lap through.
Together.
For Scotland.
Thank you."
