AS the SNP policy development convener, I have been in contact with branches up and down the country, as I have reported in this column, and have been struck by the enthusiasm and commitment of SNP members. I’ve also been struck by how focused and disciplined we are and how communication is key to where we are now and where we’re going.

I’ve also taken on board some typical straight-talking from branches and have some idea on how we should do things differently going forward. I had circulated a motion for conference in my name:

“Policy implementation mechanism Conference reiterates that approving resolutions at conference is not the end of the policy process, and expects change to be effected in the real world by our elected members. Conference instructs the policy development convener to within his or her report to conference outline progress on the implementation of resolutions approved by previous conferences in order to ensure transparency and accountability of our elected members.

Alyn Smith MP, policy development convener”

I wrote it up after my 60 or so Zoom meetings with branches and constituencies because one of the comments that came through regularly was a sense that a particular policy was often approved at national conference or national council, but then for the lack of a report-back mechanism seemed to

go quiet. There may well be good reasons why policy has not yet been implemented (for example we’ve had a policy to get nuclear weapons off the Clyde for years but they’re still there because we’re not yet independent) but it would bring transparency to the process if

there was a formal report back explaining why, or why not yet, any particular policy had not made it into the real world.

I circulated it to branches for their comments and support and was blown away by the support I received to an extent that I’ll do it anyway albeit without a formal instruction from conference. It is open to me to write my report how I think best fulfils the expectations of the membership I answer to.

I shall report to our upcoming conference what has happened to resolutions from the last 12 months. This will start a rolling process so that we can on behalf of the membership keep track of what our elected members – be they in local, national government or down in Westminster – are doing with the instructions from the membership.

There should be announcements in the coming days on the national conference. Obviously we’re in strange days and the SNP, along with every other party everywhere, has had to adapt to a new way of doing things and this conference will be unlike any other. We’re up to it and we’re up for the challenges ahead.

The Covid emergency, coming hard on the heels of the independence referendum in 2014, then the EU referendum in 2016 and subsequent Brexit chaos, has jolted a lot of people across Scotland to re-examine their views. People who were not persuaded by independence previously are part-way through a new assessment of where we fit in the world, who makes decisions for us and what our values are.

That is an opportunity for the party as much as a threat. Covid has proven we have a serious, competent and credible government in Edinburgh. It has also underlined the point that we do not have all the powers we need and could do better than those who exercise them at Westminster on our behalf yet often without our consent.

IT has demonstrated the democratic deficit of the UK – Scotland can vote, repeatedly, for outcomes it wants yet other things happen. Building the case from No to Yes remains our challenge. A lot of people are thinking in our direction but are not there yet.

This conference will be another opportunity to highlight just how much better an independent Scotland in Europe will be, making our own decisions at home and working with our friends and neighbours in our near abroad.

And that’s while doing all we can to be a good neighbour and honest friend to the UK. Yes, there is process to work out, but I don’t think the vast majority of people are concerned on process. They want vision and commitment and seriousness. The SNP has that in spades. We can see that from the many lively selection processes up and down the country.

I’m delighted that Stirling has such a strong field of women applying to us to take over the reins from Bruce Crawford when he steps down as MSP after a real heavy shift for Scotland. They’ve big shoes to fill, but we’re a team and we support each other. Not by pretending there isn’t disagreement if any exists, but by resolving it.

It was the great Scottish philosopher David Hume who said “the truth emerges from an honest disagreement amongst friends” and that has always been my approach to the party. We’re bigger than a run-of-the-mill political party, we’re a cause.

And that cause is as yet un-won, that’s our goal and it unites us because it is the key to the better community we all want to be part of.