SNP conference to begin with independence debate in Aberdeen

The SNP's annual party conference will begin in Aberdeen on Sunday and include a key debate on Scottish independence.

First Minister Humza Yousaf and Westminster leader Stephen Flynn have proposed using the next general election as a de facto referendum.

It comes as the party faces criticism over the NHS, the attainment gap and the worst drug death rates in Europe.

And just days before the conference SNP MP Lisa Cameron defected to the Conservatives.

She said she quit because of a "toxic" culture in the SNP's Westminster group - though SNP President Mike Russell said her constituency party lost faith in her and her "unsubstantiated" claims should be examined.

Mr Yousaf is expected to open the debate saying the "democratic process will prevail" in the party's cause.

He is expected to say: "There is no short cut that will get us there.

"I tell you what will: listening, campaigning and persuading."

Mr Flynn is expected to give the conference's opening speech, saying: "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."

The conference comes at a time when the SNP have experienced a number of blows.

Earlier this year, Humza Yousaf's predecessor Nicola Sturgeon was arrested, as was her husband, the SNP's former chief executive Peter Murrell and its former treasurer Colin Beattie.

All were released without charge as part of an ongoing investigation into the party's finances.

The party also lost to Labour in the recent Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election.

Internal divisions have also emerged over the SNP's power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Greens.

A lot has happened to the SNP in the last year - they've change leader, there's a police investigation underway into their finances, and polls suggest a slide in the party's popularity.

That's the backdrop that party leader Humza Yousaf will face when he opens the conference's debate on independence strategy on Sunday afternoon.

He'll tell activists that there are no shortcuts to constitutional change.

But he does want to use the next general election to give him a mandate to start talks with UK ministers about independence.

At this point, it looks like whoever forms the next UK government will not want to engage with the constitutional question.

There are others in the SNP who feel that now is not the right moment to push too hard with regards to independence.

Support for independence has been steadying at about 48% since the Supreme Court ruled the Scottish government could not hold an independence referendum without the UK government's consent.

In a recent interview with the BBC's Chris Mason, Mr Yousaf said he wanted to "talk about why independence was relevant."

He said: "We can point out Westminster's failings because there are many failings. Scotland was dragged out of the EU against its will, a chaotic, Conservative government.

"But that's not enough to really shift the numbers. The point is that you've also got to give people a reason to vote for independence.

"And the challenge with the SNP, I think, looking and reflecting truthfully, and where we've been where we are sometimes concentrating too much on process.

"I want to talk about why independence is relevant to people."

Ahead of the conference, Mr Yousaf also said he plans to resume counselling.

The first minister said during a show at the Edinburgh Fringe he sought counselling in 2016 during his time as transport minister, when he was also facing the breakdown of his first marriage.

Speaking to Holyrood Magazine, he said he was not sure if he could have continued to be a minister if he had not sought help.

He said: "I definitely think counselling has given me resilience. I was just talking to my wife, actually, last week about making sure I continue counselling as first minister.

"I don't need to do it weekly as I was doing in the past, but people shouldn't wait until a crisis moment to access counselling.

"I haven't done it yet, but I was just mentioning to my wife that it would be a good thing for me to do."