Kirstyn Higgins | Political Editor
The 2015 Party Conference Season drew to a close this week with the Plaid Cymru conference, following the SNP Party conference which took place from Thursday 15th to 17th October at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre. This was the first SNP Party conference under Nicola Sturgeons leadership, who was elected at the 2014 conference following Alex Salmond’s announcement of resignation the previous month.
The conference was the largest gathering ever held by the SNP and Nicola Sturgeon was quick to announce that the party currently has 114, 121 members, a drastic increase of 60,000 since the Scottish Independence Referendum. The issue of a second Independence Referendum has generated a great deal of talk recently but was little spoken of, with Sturgeon making it known that the conference was not about Independence, although she did state that, “The only real and lasting alternative to Tory governments that we don’t vote for is independence for our country,”.
In her key-note address, Sturgeon addressed a number of issues, including attacks on Labour, whom she called, “A constant reminder of what our party must never become.” Also under scrutiny was the UK airstrikes on Syria, the Government’s cuts to working tax credits and David Cameron for, “playing fast and loose” with Britain’s place in Europe.
Sturgeon also highlighted what she called the SNP’s achievements and what they will oppose, one such thing being tuition fees, citing access to free education as responsible for her position as First Minister. Also announced was SNP manifesto commitment to make sure every nursery in Scotland’s most deprived areas has an additional qualified teacher or childcare graduate by 2018. On the issue of childcare, it was made clear that if re-elected, the SNP will expand the hours of childcare that children are entitled to over the next parliament. The Scottish NHS was also touched on, as Sturgeon committed to investing £200 million to ensure it is, “fit for the future”.
The conference ended on a positive note as Sturgeon announced, “It has been our privilege to lead Scotland for the past nine years”, and asked SNP activists to, “Work harder than we have ever done before”.
