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SNP depute leader tells delegates ‘be ready for fight about to come’

The SNP met in Aberdeen for the first time since before the pandemic.

Craig Paton
Saturday 08 October 2022 12:07 BST
The depute leader opened the party’s conference in Aberdeen on Saturday (Andrew Milligan/PA)
The depute leader opened the party’s conference in Aberdeen on Saturday (Andrew Milligan/PA) (PA Wire)

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Andrew Feinberg

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SNP depute leader Keith Brown has told SNP activists to “be ready for the fight to come” as he opened the party’s annual conference.

Delegates are meeting for the first time in person since before the pandemic in Aberdeen, with the party looking to capitalise on the political problems faced by Prime Minister Liz Truss.

Mr Brown took aim at the Prime Minister as he opened the conference, saying the Tory leader was “singularly unfit for the job”.

Every Scot deserves better than this and the people in this hall are the people who are best able to deliver that better tomorrow

Keith Brown

“The chaos that she has created is no surprise – the only people who ever believed she was fit for No 10 were the very few thousand Tory members who put her there,” he said.

Mr Brown issued a call to arms for activists and delegates at the close of his speech.

“We can convince our fellow Scots that in an independent Scotland everyone’s basic needs are met as a matter of right,” he told the conference.

“And we are no more at the mercy of Westminster where wealth and opportunity – as we can see just now – is reserved for the few.

“Every Scot deserves better than this and the people in this hall are the people who are best able to deliver that better tomorrow.

“Because the prize – there’s no question – is there for winning.

“Friends, we have, as ever, work to do, and I would like to thank you for the work that you’ve done so far and ask you to be ready for the fight about to come.”

The depute leader also announced plans for the party to enter into the “broadcasting arena”.

“We will soon launch a new broadcast platform, with the first episode of this new show covering the debate over Scotland’s future,” he told the conference.

“We will bring you familiar and new voices to discuss the big issues surrounding the case for independence. So please, keep your eyes peeled online and in your email inbox for more details on this exciting development to be announced very soon.

“This new venture will bring to life our vision of a better, fairer, more sustainable Scotland.”

The new show appears to be a podcast named Scotland’s Voices, with a one-minute clip including people from Glasgow reacting to the Prime Minister posted on podcast streaming platforms

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