THIS year’s SNP conference was a time for reflection. Walking into it, I knew we’d be confronting some hard truths, not just about where we are as a party, but also where we stand within the independence movement.

It’s been a tough few years – nobody can deny that. From the challenges of recovering from Covid to the chaos unleashed by a disastrous Brexit and sensational headlines it’s felt like wading through mud at times.

But as I spoke with fellow campaigners and activists over the weekend, one message rang loud and clear: that despite everything, support for independence is still strong out there. If we held a referendum tomorrow, I believe we’d win it, and not by a small margin.

However, the reality is that there isn’t a referendum tomorrow. To reach that point, we need more than belief. We need action and we need the visible, sustained outward support that will convince the world – and Westminster – that Scotland is ready to be independent. Without that clear and consistent majority backing independence, it will be impossible to push through the barriers that stand in our way.

This year’s conference felt different from the many I had attended before. There was a lot of honesty about the challenges we’ve faced and it was heartening to hear that acknowledgement.

John Swinney waves to the crowd at the SNP conference (Image: PA)

The conversations weren’t shying away from the difficulties but were instead asking the essential question: “What now?” Where are we headed as a party, and how do we move the independence movement forward? I kept hearing from people about their exhaustion and completely understandable frustration. After all, we’ve been through a lot.

Those who have fought for this movement for years will tell you that there are moments when things slow down, only to pick back up again. They’ve never given up, and that unwavering commitment is something I admire deeply. The challenge now is to ensure we don’t lose momentum, even when things feel tough.

We may never recreate the buzz we had leading up to the 2014 referendum but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a new buzz. In fact, I believe we can. There were pro-independence groups popping up all over Scotland, spanning everything from music and arts to social media activism during 2014, and we only need to re-imagine them for the changed world that we are in now.

However, over the past couple of years, we’ve fallen into some traps, leaning into wedge issues and getting bogged down in negativity. We need to come together with positive intentions for the greater movement. When we campaign together, we do spectacular things.

Last time, we campaigned for the outcome of a referendum. This time, we are campaigning to validate our right to clearly state the desire of the Scottish people to be independent.

Without a public show of support, one that’s visible and undeniable, we’re stuck in a cycle of doubt and division. We need to imagine a future where support for independence is visible everywhere where high street shops display their support, where songs of independence play in mainstream outlets, and where social media becomes a space for positive, forward-looking discourse. It must be an everyday norm that is everywhere.

One of the most impactful moments of the conference for me was chairing the Peterhead SNP branch’s fringe event, where Believe in Scotland laid out its three-point strategy for delivering independence. Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp’s insights were invaluable as he talked us through how the political and grassroots arms of the independence movement can work together more effectively. His approach is pragmatic and clear: we need to facilitate a new national conversation, one that drives breakthrough levels of support and knocks down Westminster’s barriers.

Believe in Scotland hold rallies across the country in support of independence

I was struck by the simplicity and effectiveness of Believe in Scotland’s citizens’ convention proposal. It’s designed to bring ordinary Scots into the conversation about their future, putting people, not just politicians, at the heart of the independence movement. This grassroots approach is exactly what we need right now.

Another important moment for me was attending the Young Scots for Independence (YSI) fringe event. I couldn’t help but notice a lack of youth presence at the conference this year. I remember when the conference halls were filled with young people, excited, energised, and full of hope for Scotland’s future as an independent country.

Without the youth, we risk losing the future of our movement. We need to reach out to them, not with dismissiveness, but with openness and inclusion. It’s incredibly concerning when young people tell me they’ve shared their opinions, only to be shut down. We need the youth vote to get over that crucial 50% line. They are a key part of our winning strategy.

When we look at major movements around the world – from Black Lives Matter to the climate protests and calls for a ceasefire in Gaza – we see young people leading the charge. They show up in massive numbers because they have a strong sense of social justice and that’s exactly what the independence movement is – a fight for justice.

Without young people, we are without hope for the future. The independence movement must engage with them again and not shy away from their progressive ideals. We need to be ready to pass on not just our vision of Scotland but a country they feel empowered to shape in their image.

The road to independence requires all of us – politicians, campaigners, young people, and the wider public – to step up and show our support, to make it visible and undeniable. Without that outward show of desire, without the visible mandate from the Scottish people, we risk being stuck in a cycle of stagnation.

Our journey is far from over, but only together, accepting our differing visions for what comes after, can we reach our shared goal of independence.