Day Three at #SNP19
by The third and final day of the SNP’s Autumn Conference got underway in Aberdeen today, finishing with a keynote address by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
The morning began with a speech by Shirley-Anne Sommerville MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People, who criticised the Tory Government’s callous approach to welfare and praised the Scottish Government for putting fairness and dignity at its heart.
📢 @S_A_Somerville: “A decade ago, no-one had even heard of foodbanks, now under Tory Westminster rule, it’s an everyday phrase.” #SNP19https://t.co/mktL8N158a
— The SNP (@theSNP) October 15, 2019
Read Shirley-Anne Somerville’s full speech to conference here.
Conference moved on to discuss a number of resolutions, including on the Dungavel detention centre, an Urban Green Deal, the abolition of graduation fees, universal credit, the legal costs for residency orders, women in agriculture and the Scottish Child Payment benefit.
“Graduation should not be a privelege. Graduation should not have a price tag.”
Big thanks to @SNPStudents for moving a motion at #SNP19 in favour of @NUSScotland‘s #FreeToGraduate campaign, making it SNP policy that they must be scrapped ✊🎓 pic.twitter.com/GPI7HBEx9C
— Liam McCabe (@_liammccabe_) October 15, 2019
Before lunch, a Scotland’s Future event was held to discuss the growing need for Scotland to become an independent country. The event heard impassioned contributions from Gavin Lundy, Laura Mitchell, Julia Stachurska, Shona Robison MSP, Kate Forbes MSP and Keith Brown MSP.
🏴 @KateForbesMSP: “Scotland will be joining a whole host of other small, independent nations in Europe – because it comes down to this – independence is normal.” #SNP19
— The SNP (@theSNP) October 15, 2019
The conference ended with the keynote speech by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who confirmed a Section 30 order for a fresh independence referendum would be requested by the end of the year. The SNP leader also set out a vision of an independent nation with humanity and compassion at its heart, and which is connected to both Europe and the wider world.
💡 @NicolaSturgeon: “Scotland’s contribution to human progress down the ages is immeasurable.
“But perhaps our greatest contribution will be this – a new country founded on hope and a vision of shared humanity and compassion.” #SNP19https://t.co/tRnRL4zmvR
— The SNP (@theSNP) October 15, 2019