Nicola Sturgeon said the SNP’s new strategy on independence had her “full unequivocal support”.
Nicola Sturgeon has given her full backing to the SNP’s new independence strategy.
The former first minister spoke to reporters as she arrived at the party’s conference 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.
Ms Sturgeon, who stepped down as first minister in March, received a round of applause from party members as she arrived at conference venue.
“I believed I’d given it my all in moving the country to independence but that I had taken it as far as I could,” she told reporters.
The ex-party leader added she was giving her “full unequivocal support” to the new independence strategy.
She said she had been watching the conference “from afar” and denied taking attention away from her successor.
“I don’t think there is any doubt about who is in charge of this conference,” Ms Sturgeon said.
Nicola Sturgeon arrived at the conference on Monday afternoon
Following the SNP’s heavy defeat to Labour in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election, she urged the party to keep “making the connection” between independence and people’s priorities, adding that the party had to “remember and remind people” why it had won so many elections.
Earlier, Mr Yousaf said he was “delighted” his predecessor was coming to the conference and dismissed suggestions she was upstaging him.
He told reporters Ms Sturgeon had “every right” to be at the event and predicted she would get a “lot of love” from members who would be “really excited to see her”.
The first minister added that he spoke to the former party chief “regularly”.
Ms Sturgeon was arrested in June amid an investigation into SNP finances. She was released without charge and has denied any wrongdoing.
Asked if she had spoken to the police again since then, she replied: “No”.
Image source, PA Media
First Minister Humza Yousaf has ditched his predecessor’s independence strategy
After the Supreme Court ruled the Scottish Parliament could not legislate for a referendum without Westminster’s consent, Ms Sturgeon announced plans to use the next general election as a de facto vote on independence.
Under the proposal, a majority of votes cast for the SNP would provide a mandate to begin talks with the UK government about Scotland leaving the union.
But Mr Yousaf rejected that approach during a debate on the party’s independence strategy at conference on Sunday.
It was agreed a majority of votes for the SNP at the next general election, which is expected to be held next year, would spark independence negotiations with Westminster and a push for a second referendum.
An amendment passed by delegates stated that if the UK government continued to refuse to accept demands for a second referendum, or to transfer powers to Holyrood to be able to stage one, the SNP should consider using the 2026 Scottish Parliament election as a de facto vote.
