SNP conference 2015: Left on the shelf once, Yes campaign mugs are waiting to have their day

It was telling that Nicola Sturgeon decided to deal with the issue of independence on the first morning of the conference

Memorabilia on sale at the SNP’s biggest ever conference (Getty)

The official SNP merchandise stall at the party’s autumn conference in Aberdeen has had a busy three days. The biggest gathering in the party’s history has provided the perfect opportunity to flog a wide collection of branded memorabilia, from “Scottish N Proud” shopping bags to collectable pin badges and T-shirts bearing patriotic slogans such as “The Scottish lion has roared”, Alex Salmond’s victory cry when he and 55 of his colleagues were elected as MPs last May.

Less prominently displayed than most of the items are the blue and white Yes mugs on the top shelf of the stall, but they are still there, a reminder that last year’s independence referendum is still fresh in the minds of many SNP members.

Some have described the issue of when to push for a second vote on Scotland’s future as the “elephant in the room” at this year’s conference. No motion about the issue was included in the agenda and the only fringe meeting on the subject, due to take place on Thursday night, was cancelled at short notice.

It was telling that Nicola Sturgeon decided to deal with the issue on the first morning of the conference. A solemn silence descended on the hall when, half way through her opening address to members, the SNP leader insisted that to call another vote too early would “not be respecting the decision that people made” last year.

This dampening of expectations was undoubtedly a gamble by Ms Sturgeon, but it is one which appears to have paid off. A few of the SNP’s old guard have grumbled – notably former deputy leader Jim Sillars, who accused the party’s leadership of attempting to “smother” debate on a second referendum – but most delegates seemed happy to leave the issue of timing up to their leader.

The reason is simple: they trust Ms Sturgeon implicitly and are happy to follow her judgement on almost anything. The mood on the conference floor was that if she believes another referendum should be delayed until a clear majority of Scots support a Yes vote, then fine, they will wait. In the meantime, they will continue the work of the “Yes movement” and try to win over as many of their No-voting friends and relatives as possible to their cause.

Ms Sturgeon’s has attempted to reassure No voters that electing her as First Minister will not automatically mean another independence vote. However, it might not be long before some of the SNP faithful grow restless. An unofficial poll of 100 delegates attending the conference, published by a Scottish newspaper, found that 60 per cent believe another referendum should be called before 2020.

For now though, Ms Sturgeon is riding a wave of popularity – both within the conference centre and beyond – which seems likely to grow into an electoral tsunami come next May’s Scottish Parliament election. Back at the SNP merchandise stall, staff say their biggest-selling item has proved to be the official 2016 calendar. Many of them, it seems, are already planning their next move.