Humza Yousaf aiming for style and substance in speechpublished at 15:09 British Summer Time 17 October 2023

15:09 BST 17 October 2023

Andrew Kerr
Scottish political correspondent

Humza Yousaf has already made significant speeches as SNP leader.

The first was when he was elected to the post - the second when he was elected as first minister in the Scottish Parliament.

The third big speech was his keynote address to the SNP convention in Dundee back in June.

It started off well with a standing ovation from the crowd and he appeared to make a big impression.

He seemed passionate and engaging.

The speech was on Autocue which makes for a fluent address - an easier way to deliver and less hard than thinking on your feet, such as during first minister’s questions.

His confidence and style came to the fore when he was interrupted by a heckler.

The leader stepped off the stage and made his way into the crowd.

He spoke to the woman and consoled her.

It was a confident and charismatic way to deal with the situation - and members applauded.

Style can carry you so far - the content of the speech on independence strategy was criticised as being muddled.

Today, in his first annual national conference speech as leader, Mr Yousaf will likely update the audience on his family’s situation in Gaza; there will be big policy announcements and he will attempt to make his convincing case for independence.

The content of the speech will have to reflect his world view; the political outlook that defines him.

This is an opportunity to show substance can be combined with style.

There's no denying Nicola Sturgeon was the star turn at the SNP's conference yesterday and, crucially, she gave her full backing to the SNP's new independence strategy.

The former first minister, who stood down in March, spoke to reporters and was applauded by delegates as she arrived at the venue in Aberdeen.

Her plan to use the next general election as a de facto referendum was ditched by delegates in a vote on Sunday.

First Minister Humza Yousaf instead favoured a strategy based on winning a majority of seats.

• Read more here
• SNP backs Humza Yousaf's independence plan
• Can SNP's independence plan change union's future?

Looking beyond independence?published at 14:55 British Summer Time 17 October 2023

14:55 BST 17 October 2023

Nick Eardley
Political correspondent

It wouldn't be an SNP conference without a lot of talk about independence.

But I think Humza Yousaf will try and focus on other things in this speech.

His allies acknowledge that voters are prioritising issues like the cost of living, the economy and the state of the NHS. Some senior SNP people admit people just aren't thinking as much about the constitution at the moment.

The first minister will of course mention independence. But he wants to sell a vision to Scottish voters beyond one issue - so I'd expect quite a few policies in this speech and not much new on the constitution.

It's the final day of the SNP conference and Humza Yousaf is set to make his address live at 15:15 BST.

We'll bring you the key lines from his speech, but here's a reminder of what's happened during the conference so far:

• The first day saw the independence strategy take centre stage, with debates across the conference
• Yousaf said the party will focus on a push for a referendum if they win a majority in the next election, and attendees voted in favour of his plan
• Former SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon showed up on Monday, announcing her backing for the new independence plans
• Meanwhile, yesterday there were calls to better monitor the quality of water, as sewage spills have increased in recent years
• Today there were sessions on the delayed dualling of the A9 and A96 - two major roads that have drawn widespread criticism over safety concerns

Stick with us as the SNP wrap up the 89th conference in Aberdeen.

Yousaf's personal and political pressures ahead of keynote speechpublished at 14:17 British Summer Time 17 October 2023

14:17 BST 17 October 2023

Glenn Campbell
BBC Scotland Political Editor

Humza Yousaf’s big moment to address his party’s annual gathering for the first time as leader comes at a time of great personal and political stress.

There have been reminders of both throughout the SNP’s conference.

First, the personal. Mr Yousaf broke away from a tour of the exhibition hall to take a call about his in-laws who remain stuck in Gaza. Their fate is a constant concern.

Under this strain he has shown resilience and leadership, not least through the compassion he has offered both Israelis and Palestinians who are suffering.

Then there’s the political. The new Labour MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West, Michael Shanks, took his seat at Westminster on Monday, underlining the electoral threat to the SNP.

It is possible the SNP defector Lisa Cameron could take her seat on the Conservative benches as early as today - a reminder of the SNP’s internal divisions.

The appearance of Nicola Sturgeon at conference recalls the party’s past glories, which opinion polls suggest could be difficult for Humza Yousaf to replicate.

It was also a reminder that the SNP’s finances remain under police investigation.

Mr Yousaf’s expected announcement on extra cash to tackle NHS waiting lists will be widely welcomed but it also highlights the public service delivery challenges the SNP face in government.

Image source, PA Media

The last few weeks have been particularly difficult for the SNP, so here's a reminder of some of the travails they have faced.

Labour defeated the SNP to win the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election by a comfortable margin.

Then a former SNP MP who defected to the Conservatives claimed she and her family have had to go into hiding due to threats of violence.

The party is having to deal with a struggling NHS, a wide educational attainment gap between the richest and poorest, and, despite recent improvements, the worst rate of death from drugs anywhere in Europe.

Earlier this year, Humza Yousaf's predecessor Nicola Sturgeon was arrested, as was her husband, the SNP's former chief executive Peter Murrell and its former treasurer Colin Beattie.

All were released without charge as part of an ongoing investigation into the party's finances.

Last month former SNP minister Fergus Ewing was suspended from the party for a week after a disciplinary vote by MSPs.

Before the conference, Yousaf said the SNP is "slightly down" but "definitely not out" after the most challenging period in its history.

Image source, PA Media

We understand that Humza Yousaf will pledge an extra £300m to help cut NHS waiting lists by 100,000 patients by 2026.

The keynote speech comes after delegates agreed a new independence strategy based on winning the majority of Scotland's 57 seats at the next general election.

Yousaf will vow to put the economy at the centre of the party's constitutional campaign.

• Sturgeon backs SNP's new independence strategy
• SNP backs Humza Yousaf's independence plan

Image source, PA Media

Good afternoon and welcome to our live coverage of Humza Yousaf's keynote speech at the SNP conference.

We'll bring you reports and analysis from Aberdeen throughout the afternoon and you can watch the speech here with us by clicking on the play icon at the top of this page.

We're expecting the first minister to begin his speech at 3.15pm.