Overview

• Delegates in Aberdeen overwhelmingly approved the leadership motion to fight the 2026 Holyrood election on a platform of independence, defining an outright SNP majority as the trigger for a fresh vote.
• A grassroots amendment from more than 40 branches to treat the election as a de facto referendum was defeated after a detailed floor debate.
• John Swinney told members the SNP would “win big” next May, arguing that a majority would open the path to a new referendum as in 2011.
• Deputy leader Keith Brown said Swinney has staked his premiership on securing at least 65 seats, calling the move brave and high-risk.
• Analysts highlight a fragmented unionist vote with Reform UK rising and Labour losing momentum, while opponents attack the SNP’s record on public services and activists warn of membership decline, even as the government touts a paper claiming households would be £10,000 better off under independence.