How a slick SNP conference ended with 'a trust me' call

Nicola Sturgeon took the applause at the SNP conference in Aberdeen

Nicola Sturgeon has brought down the curtain on the SNP conference in Aberdeen, the largest gathering of the party in its history.

She used her speech to spread the party's net wider than ever, across the whole of Scotland and the UK and indeed various international issues, and asked for members to put their trust in her to lead them forward.

The speech sums up the conference as a whole; the weekend has been all about how the SNP has grown, in membership, in power and influence, and in ambition.

As well as being in power at Holyrood and boasting more than 114,000 members, the party now has unprecedented sway - something Ms Sturgeon seems keen to capitalise on.

As if being the third largest party in Westminster wasn't enough, Ms Sturgeon is pitching the SNP as the "only effective opposition" to David Cameron's government.

It was a common theme at the conference. Labour is in disarray, speakers on stage repeated time and again; this is the SNP's moment.

With such ambition comes an expanded policy platform, extending even as far as the UK's foreign policy, with Ms Sturgeon and indeed her predecessor Alex Salmond putting pressure on Labour over intervention in Syria.

There were also pledges on health and social care, childcare and the NHS - a broad range of policies befitting what is now a very large and diverse political party.

It was selfie time at the SNP conference in Aberdeen

Her core message was summed up in one phrase: "Independence matters, but what we say about jobs, schools and hospitals matters just as much."

New SNP members gathered alongside seasoned delegates

Ms Sturgeon took to the stage like a rock star, and won endless applause as the faithful hung on her every word. She also needed to come back twice for additional bows, before taking a series of selfies with the adoring crowd.

However, despite the overwhelming air of unity, throughout the conference there was an occasional feeling of activists straining at the leash, wanting to do more and go further than the party was ready to.

Delegates rebelled against a couple of motions - there was a tight vote on whether the party should commend the moratorium on fracking or call for an outright ban, and a resolution on radical land reform was actually sent back to be made more radical.

At a particularly rambunctious fringe event discussing the future of the BBC, culture secretary Fiona Hyslop explicitly stated that she wouldn't be drawn into criticising the broadcaster - only for another elected SNP representative to draw parallels with Nazi propaganda to widespread applause.

This too though could be seen as a measure of how professional the party has become; for the most part it steered clear of controversy throughout the slickly-presented conference.

Don't mention the 'I' word

And of course there's the small matter of Scottish independence, (the elephant in the room).

The party's footsoldiers by and large are hungry for a second referendum, while its leaders are far more cautious.

Ms Sturgeon and her deputy John Swinney both pitched appeals to "No" voters, stressing a broader policy platform beyond independence.

Angus Robertson, group leader at Westminster, underlined that there should only be another referendum when those in favour of a "Yes" vote are certain that they will win.

Many of the activists agree - but they want to do it tomorrow, not years down the line.

T-shirts bearing "Yes2" slogans were much in evidence in the halls of the AECC. Even during the debate on fracking on Friday, one speaker underlined that "independence is the prize we all want".

Independence is the cause that drew many activists to the party, particularly new members, and still a big priority for them. And this will remain the case no matter how wide the party's scope grows or how many other issues it embraces.

The Aberdeen conference hall was packed out for Nicola Sturgeon's speech

Ms Sturgeon and her deputy John Swinney have used speeches to pitch the SNP to No voters too

That's not to say there was disquiet in the auditorium, of course - more an overload of excitement.

By and large the delegates, conference veterans and first-timers alike, have had a ball throughout the three-day event.

Countless selfies have been snapped, with people posing for pictures with party banners, and the SNP merchandise stall has done a roaring trade in everything from T-shirts to branded Christmas cards.

Fringe events frequently ran long because so many people wanted to ask questions or voice their opinions.

'Trust us - trust me'

A picture of political engagement in a nutshell could be the hardy group who stood through an hour-long, high-brow discussion of the spending review because there were no seats left - at 08:30 in the morning. Or indeed those who got into an impassioned debate over a report titled "The Intensification of Grouse Moor Management in Scotland".

All of this peaked with Ms Sturgeon's speech; delegates leapt to their feet to applaud after hearing Ms Sturgeon's closing appeal to "trust us - trust me" - a significant moment in itself.

Her army of 114,000 are willing to follow where ever she leads - but still, their patience will not be boundless. Scottish independence remains priority number one in the hearts of many activists.

Ms Sturgeon has been cautious in mapping out the road ahead for the SNP - but for all the party's dominance, that road will need to lead to a second referendum sooner or later.