NICOLA Sturgeon used her keynote address at SNP conference to promise a massive shake up of how Scotland cares for children and young people looked after by the state. And significantly the root and branch review will be led by those who have experience of the care system.

It was a substantial announcement, in what was a policy heavy speech, but Sturgeon also used her address to pile pressure on Theresa May, making more explicit the ultimatum the SNP leader had set out at the start of week: Scotland needs to remain in the single market, or there will be a referendum.

Sturgeon made clear she thinks Labour are an irrelevance and that the fight now is between the SNP and the Tories. In many ways the First Minister’s conference speech was something of a response to the Prime Minister’s conference speech, contrasting the difference between the two.

May’s Tory party conference was dominated by accusations of xenophobia, with proposals to make companies register migrant workers, and threats to send foreign doctors home.

Where the Tories “are retreating to the fringes of Europe”, Sturgeon said, the SNP “intend to stay at its very heart where Scotland belongs.”

“The Cameroons had fallen to the Faragistas”, she joked, saying the Tories were now the “Conservative and Separatist Party, or Ukip for short.”

Sturgeon told conference she wanted one word to define her speech, “inclusion”.

It “is the guiding principle for everything we do,” she said. “It encapsulates what we stand for as a party and it describes the kind of country we want Scotland to be.”

There was, perhaps a little surprisingly, also some inclusion for those who had backed Better Together.

The EU referendum result in June had left Sturgeon feeling as if a part of her identity was being taken away, she said, giving her an understanding of “how those who voted No might have felt if 2014 had gone the other way.” It was something of an appeal to those voters to consider thinking about independence.

Big announcements were the extension of the small business bonus, covering 100,000 premises taken out of paying rates. There was the opening of a permanent trade representation in Berlin, and an increase in the number of Scottish Development staff working across Europe.

There were new measures on child care, with a proposal to allow parents more choice over their local authority nursery or childminder; “the funding will follow the child, not the other way round,” Sturgeon said.

Sturgeon also promised to boost primary care services with an 11 per cent increase in spending on the NHS frontline budget.

There was news of the baby box scheme, the Finnish initiative adopted by the Scottish Government where every newborn will receive an item-filled free box which can also double as a bed.

The first boxes are to be delivered to babies born in the pilot areas on New Years Day, and next month the government, along with the V&A in Dundee, will launch a competition for the design.

But it was the change to Scotland’s care system that was perhaps the most important part of the First Minister’s speech. In the audience, right at the front, were a group of young people who have gone through or are going through Scotland’s care system.

Two weeks back they had met the First Minister, lobbying her and telling her what their lives were like. One of those young people, Harry O’Neill told her that what all “children and young people really need is love and someone who believes in them.”

He added: “Unfortunately, that’s not something our care system is providing for every young person.”

Only six per cent of children in care go to university, nearly half have mental health issues, many end up in prison.

Startlingly, a child who has been in care is 20 time more likely to be dead by the time they are 25.

At conference, a clearly emotional Sturgeon looked directly at the young people who had lobbied her and promised them that the Scottish Government “will launch an independent, root and branch review of the care system”

“It will look at the underpinning legislation, practices, culture and ethos, and it will be driven by those who have experiences of care. This is not something that any other country has ever done before. We will do it here in Scotland first.”

She went on: “Children don’t need a system that just stops things happening to them, they need one that make things happen for them.

“A system that supports them to become the people they can be. One that gives them a sense of family, of belonging, of love.

“My view is simple: every young person deserves to be loved.”

The government say details of the review will be published soon.

‘This review tells me that the FM didn’t just hear us – she truly listened’

REACTION by Kathleen Nutt

HARRY O’Neill, a member of Who Cares? Scotland, said it was hugely important Nicola Sturgeon had met young people who had grown up in care to hear about their lives.

He described a meeting he and other youngsters had had with the First Minister in Bute House.

“We told her that what children and young people really need is love and someone who believes in them. Unfortunately, that’s not something our care system is providing for every young person.

“The outcomes for young people who come through the system are a worry for us all. Less likely to get a good education, more likely to be homeless, in prison, and with mental health disorders, care experienced people are seriously marginalised in our society. They’re stigmatised and find barriers to getting on in life that most other people do not,” he wrote on a blog on the Who Care? Scotland website.

“Nicola Sturgeon is the most influential corporate parent in Scotland and like all good parents, she wants to know her children. That’s why it was so important for us highlight the reality of life in care when we met her.

“The First Minister has announced that the Government will launch a review of the care system in Scotland. This tells me that she didn’t just hear us – she truly listened.

“It is impossible to put into words how elated I am that not only were our voices heard, action is now being taken to change and rebuild the broken care system.

This is an unprecedented moment for care and care experienced people in Scotland. I would like to say a huge thank you to Nicola. This means the world to us.”

Harry went on: “I am considered by others as someone who is in a ‘positive destination’ and I worked hard to be where I am. I cannot say, however, that luck didn’t play a part. I had stable support from so many people, people who would pick me up when I was down, tell me when I needed to stop messing around and people who told me I was worth something.

“Everyone’s experience of care will be vastly different but for me it was the love of people that saw me through. That’s why I’m glad that the First Minister highlighted the work of great staff delivering care and made it clear that the review will learn from where things are already going right. Even with my positive experience, growing up in care, in a world that doesn’t understand you is hard to deal with. I had to explain to my friends why I was talking about my “staff” all the time or why the police had to check their house before I could sleep over.

“I had to sign for my pocket money and ask for a receipt with every purchase. I had go to meetings every few months and felt I had to put on an act. I used big words and acted, participating in a way that was easier for adults, so that I would be listened to. I had most of my teenage years logged in a house diary so that when staff shifts changed, they knew what mood I was in.”

‘It doesn’t matter what the colour of your skin is or where you were born’

SNP DELEGATES REACTION by Kathleen Nutt

PARTY members at the conference were delighted with their leader’s speech, singling out its themes of inclusion and help for children in care and support for those who have grown up in care for particular praise.

Nicky McManus, a delegate from the SNP’s Motherwell and Wishaw branch, was moved to tears when the First Minister outlined details of her baby box policy, inspired by a practice in Finland.

The move, announced in the SNP Holyrood manifesto this year, will see every newborn child get a box of clothes, nappies, bedding, books and toiletries from next summer.

Sturgeon told the conference that next month she would launch a competition in partnership with the V&A in Dundee – for the design of the box, with the first boxes delivered to babies born on New Year’s Day.

“I couldn’t stop crying when Nicola spoke again of the baby box. It is such a strong symbol, conveying the importance of giving every child the same start in life. It is great we are taking examples of progressive policies from Nordic countries,” said McManus.

“I found it very emotional. The word inclusion is very important to Scotland, it shows everyone what we are and what we stand for as a country.

“It says it doesn’t matter what the colour of your skin is or where you were born or where you are from.”

James Stewart, 63, of Kirriemuir, Angus, told The National: “The stand out moment for me was when Nicola spoke about the NHS. I work in the NHS and its important she gave it attention. I also really liked the fact she underlined that we are an inclusive country, which I think marks us having a very different approach from the xenophobia on display at last week’s Tory conference.”

Duncan Rennie, from Ellon, Aberdeenshire, said he found the section addressing the needs of young people who had been brought up in care extremely moving.

Several young people who had been brought up in care stood up at the front of the auditorium holding up cut out love hearts to Sturgeon after she announced a root and branch review of the care system and declared “every young person deserves to be loved”.

“I loved the speech. The message of being inclusive was spot on. I also loved the message from the kids, it was a very emotional moment in the speech and I think Nicola was extremely moved by their response when they showed the cut out hearts. It was a very powerful message.”

Sandra Scott shared Rennie’s view.

“I think the experience of children in care is something very important to her. When she started speaking about the children and when the kids stood up, I was bowled over. Tears came to a lot of people’s eyes, including mine, I must say. Her speech was wonderful,” said Scott.

“I also liked the part about independence and when she said ‘I know we will get there, it’s just a question of when.’”

Anouk Kahanov-Kloopert, a Dutch national and SNP member living in Scotland, added: “One of the most important moments for me was when Nicola spoke about the children in care. In addition to other things, I also, as a Dutch citizen, very much appreciated her welcome to EU nationals.”