14/10/2016 - Live Morning Session SNP Conference

Good morning, delegates. I'l sorry for the slight delay. I know that a

number of you were at fringd meetings, but the huge auditorium is

filling up, so welcome back. We turn to resolution ten on dementha care.

The motion will be proposed by Roderick Campbell and seconded by

Maureen Watt, MSP. Please wdlcome back what Rick Campbell. -- Roderick

Campbell. Thank you, Derek. Conference, amongst the manx health

challenges facing us, none hs perhaps as far ranging and `ffecting

more and more families in Scotland and other mainly developed countries

in the world as dementia. Ddmentia costs the health service a huge

amount of money and as we know from Police Scotland, a police thme and

money too. One UK study suggests that the health and social care

costs of dementia are almost match the combined costs of cancer, heart

disease and stroke. As a result of our ageing population, the numbers

with dementia are likely to increase. The motion refers to a

current figure of 90,000, a figure which on current estimates were

almost double in 20 years. But if we can delay the onset of dementia by

even two or three years, thhs will have a significant effect not only

on families, but on spending. That is why research is vital. L`st week

in Birmingham, we had anothdr party conference. We heard much t`lk of a

world where health services rely on locally trained doctors and medical

staff. But what is clear about dementia is that it does not respect

borders. It is perhaps appropriate to reflect on the international

dimension of dementia. It w`s the G8 in London in December 2013 which

encouraged an international approach to dementia. David Cameron

championed it, stating that Britain would lead the search for what he

described as one of the gre`test enemies of humanity. At least he was

right about that. But at prdsent, over 47 million people are living

with dementia worldwide. Ond of the recommendations of the World Health

Organisation boss that everx country should have a national plan. The G8

has accelerated progress on that, and the numbers of countries with

such plans continues to risd. A global action plan is due for

finalisation next summer. As we approach our third national plan in

Scotland, we can see that Scotland is ahead of the curve. Scotland has

a good record, a better record on early diagnosis than elsewhdre in

the UK, with approximately 43,5 0 formally diagnosed with demdntia on

the recent figures. The previous national plan incorporated that

aspiration. Since that plan, the Scottish Government has madd a

commitment to one year's post-diagnostic support for

individuals and most import`ntly, their families, in the year

following diagnosis. The next plan must build on this, making the

process of getting support dasier, less daunting and more conshstent

throughout Scotland. And it must build on the dementia champhons and

ambassadors who have been a feature of the NHS and workplaces

respectively over the last few years. And we should continte to

recognise that where practical, we should aim to keep those living with

dementia in their own home. Outside the home, we need to build on the

plant established last year in Aberdeen and this year in Glasgow,

providing information and stpport for those living with dementia and

their families. But it is ilportant to recognise the importance of the

integration of health and social care which came on stream this year.

It is early days to assess the benefits of integration, but

undoubtedly, it is tied with support for those living with dementia.

Will need to recognise that we have a proud record on personal care it

is an absolute must for those living with dementia, and we should be

proud that we have a governlent that supports the Balmoral invaltable

army of care workers from the EU and non-EU countries as well as Scotland

by payment of the living wage from this month, and we also need to

encourage the use of telly care adaptations at home, to makd living

at home less stressful, and we need to recognise the importance of small

things like electrical safety at home. And we should not forget the

needs of many dementia suffdrers for palliative and and applied care

They often have very signifhcant other health needs. Marray Keary

produced a good report last year and I am pleased that the draft plan

recognises this issue, becatse dementia is a terminal dise`se.

Although its needs may slightly differ from other terminal diseases,

as Mariko Oi argue, we need to obtain proper data and information,

so that we can commit to providing from our end of life care in

Scotland. In that respect I have noted the amendment to the lotion,

which I am happy to support. Finally, the plan does need to

recognise, as I said earlier, the importance of research, an

organisation such as the clhnical research network and the Scottish

dementia research Consortiul, as they seek to support research both

at national, UK, and dare I say it European and international levels.

Conference, can I commend this motion and the amendment to you

APPLAUSE Thank you, Roderick. Maureen Watt to

second the resolution. Roderick said he will accept the amendment but can

I ask for a formal second over the amendment? Thank you. Mauredn. Thank

you very much Derek and good morning delegates. I am very proud to be

contributing to this debate today as Scotland's very First Minister for

mental health, the first evdr dedicated minister to mental health

champion mental health and physical champion mental health and physical

health for parity of esteem, that we see the whole person, and rdcognise

that mental health is as important as physical health throughott our

lives. Starting well, living well, and ageing well, and that is why I

dementia policy. Dementia h`s been a dementia policy. Dementia h`s been a

priority of this government since 2007, and it very much remahn so. We

have, as Rob said, have two National strategies and the third ond will

come before the end of the xear We have seen significant progrdss in

many aspects of dementia care and support. Dementia diagnosis rates

have improved and Scotland compares well across the UK and

internationally. In 2011, wd introduced the human rights -based

standards of care for dementia in Scotland, and the National dementia

workforce training and educ`tion framework, called promoting

excellence, it is to support services across Scotland to meet the

new standards, and of coursd this has been backed financially. In

2013, we introduced what is still a world leading national post

diagnosis service, offering a minimum of a year's work of

dedicated support by a named and trained link worker for people newly

diagnosed with dementia. Thd official data on how we are doing on

this will be published shortly. We also have in place national bespoke

improvement programmes for both general and specialist NHS dementia

care, supporting the care of outside the Scotland dimension nursd

consultants. We have trained over 600 dementia champions. 1000

dementia ambassadors in sochal care. I am delighted we are seen `s world

leading internationally and that is why Jeff wagons from the Scottish

Government is leading for the UK in Europe. He is coordinator of the

joint action on dementia and is coordinating the work shames on

dementia. So the new strategy will take further action on diagnosis and

post-diagnostic support, appropriate services in the community for all of

our families. I'd take my h`t off to those who work in dementia care and

we are going to make sure that through education and trainhng and

developing of the workforce that continues. We have much to be proud

of in Scotland, and I and your government are determined to make it

even more consistently bettdr, so supports this motion, and the

amendment. Thank you. Thank you Maureen. Tony McCandless will move

the amendment to be followed by Michelle Campbell, who will speak in

favour of the resolution. Tony. Thank you, Derek. Good mornhng,

conference. My branch is very honoured to have amongst its

membership many people that spend their time caring for others. I

would like to make a note to conference that they are part of an

NHS system in this country that we should be damp rather. Thesd are

amazing people. APPLAUSE And they felt that they werd

certainly behind the resolution here. They believe it is long

overdue, the work taking pl`ce is fantastic. But there was also a part

of dementia that impacts not simply the person suffering from

themselves, but very much ilpacts the family around them, and it is,

as has been said, a terminal condition. And sometimes it is when

you reach the end of that journey that families need assistance, to be

able to know what to expect, and how to react, and therefore the branch

felt that we wanted to incltde education for families and carers

both on the nature and the needs of people who are coming to thd end of

their lives suffering from dementia. And on a personal basis, I have seen

two parents pass away, and ht would have been helpful, I think, for

somebody to tell me, you know, what I could expect, but also how I could

best help them make a graceful exit, and therefore the amendment that has

been proposed, and thankfully accepted, is really to help the

families as well as the people. Thank you for your time this

morning, conference. APPLAUSE Thank you very much, Tony. @nd

Michelle Campbell to speak hn favour of the resolution to be followed by

Hazel Gardner, who will also speak in favour of the resolution. Please

welcome Michelle, who is a first-time speaker at conference,

and also a mental health nurse in the NHS. APPLAUSE

Thank you, convenor, and good morning conference. When I read this

resolution, it really poured my heartstrings. I have specialised in

the care of the older adult, and maturity by choice, I might add for

a number of years. I am working in the NHS. I believe as a sochety and

we need to be more informed and more supportive of individuals in the

community. I have had hundrdds of patients coming into my card, and

the teams have worked in, and some of those needs can be reallx complex

and distressing. I still fedl that dementia is an illness we tried to

hide from until it is in thd forefront of our mind because there

is a fear of the loss of a person. And we can't continue to kedp facing

it in that way. I am very privileged in the job that I do that I get to

nurse people at end stage of their illness, and there has to bd dignity

in dying. I feel that the individual's personality max feel

that it has disintegrated for those who have known them to their lives

but when I am nursing them hn those end moment and I say the sm`ll

things I have seen in that individual and the family slile I

am able to give them that moment because they see that part hs still

there. I would like us for ` society to embrace dementia until wd find a

cure to be able to give thel the support and together with the fear

that they feel as well. Thank you very much, please support this

resolution. APPLAUSE Thank you, Michelle. Hazel Gardner

to speak in favour of the resolution. This is also Hazel's

first time speaking at confdrence as well, so please give her a warm

welcome. APPLAUSE To be followed by Dr Maggie

Robertson. Thank you, Derek, I will try to keep within time and not get

a red light. I am looking ott on a sea of faces. Amongst those faces, I

know there are many people who are in a position of knowing soleone

with dementia. We have heard today that dementia is a terminal illness,

we have heard that dementia is impacting on society more and more,

and I want to just bring it down to the very, very personal. And I just

want to share with you a story of the Lady I call my AJ. That is sort

-- short for aunt Jean, who was my Mum's best friend, and she still is.

She was a scientist. She worked for British rail in the laboratories,

she bought me my first dog, she bought me my first gold bracelet.

She provided fun and endless support, and when my mum didd, she

begets my second mum. So my AJ is enormously important in my life but

that is not why I wanted to share with you simply for personal

reasons, the journey that you go on when somebody suffers from dementia,

for my AJ it went like this, she was a scientist, she netted change. She

found it fascinating. She would look at the way her memory was f`iling,

she would look at the fact she could not find the keys or the cigarettes,

or anything like that any more. She would look at how her emotions were

changing, and she got a powdr of attorney through her lawyer to take

air of things because she h`d no children, and her cousin was in New

Zealand. In a sense, I am hdr closest relative, although H'm not a

relative, and that puts people like me in a very particular sittation.

We hear about how people ard impacted by this. That is not just

the family, but can I impress the need for support for familids,

except sure, it is absolutely vital. I have had tremendous support from

the house where my aunt is being taken care of. She fought a great

fight but eventually her illness became so severe that she h`d to

give up her independence, and she had to give up her pets, and she had

to move into care accommodation And she is excellently cared for, I

can't thank the staff enough for the care they take of her. But H didn't

know what kind of dementia she had, I didn't know what stages she was

in, and it took a lot of working to and fro between the house and I to

understand my place in her life and to understand that, for me to

understand her place in lifd. I support this motion, becausd as a

community, we care for people, whether it is our neighbours, our

AJs, whether it is our own lum, or whether it is other relativds. And I

just want to say to conference that this motion is vitally important.

Dignity in dying is vitally important. Support the motion,

support my AJ. Thank you. APPLAUSE And Dr Maggie Robertson will speak

in favour of the resolution. Maggie is a dementia researcher and a

first-time speaker also. Th`nks Derek. Good morning conference, I

have been working in Tampa hn various guises, first as a nurse,

then a lecturer, then as a researcher. I am very proud to say

that Scotland continues to lead the way in dementia care across the UK

but improvements can and nedd to be made. My aim is to

an area not always given full attention. It is not hard for us to

understand that for each person living with dementia and thd family

members, their experience of dementia will be different, not

least because there are a ntmber of different types of dementia but not

everyone will have the same symptoms or share the same experiencds.

However, it is often not recognised that the fears and expectathons of

the person living with dementia and other family members will also be

unique. And it is the uniqudness of these expectations, their fdars and

concerns, that ultimately m`nifest as a unmet needs, which may be

emotional and all education`l. Posted diagnostic support ndeds to

be able to address these nedds more. One important emotional need

currently being reported is the need to have time alone with the care

provider. No one asks me how I'm doing is a phrase heard oftdn from

spouses. Care is often seen to be directed only to the person with

dementia. Given the time thdy need, individuals would have a safe space

to get things off their chest, talk things through with a dementia nurse

or support worker a loan th`t they feel they would offend her or anger

their significant other. Having this time could provide opportunhties to

discuss and explore and unddrstand people's expectations around

palliative care or end of lhfe care. Besides wanting to know mord about

what to expect as dementia progresses, people often sax things

like, it doesn't kill you, does it? Most don't view dementia is a

illness. Other educational `spects include requests for genetic

testing, risk estimates, iddas about how to reduce a person's risk. So

attending to a person or falily s needs post-diagnostic support will

have to tailor the response in more bespoke ways. Care providers will

need adequate knowledge to respond to family requests for some

families, support will need to continue beyond the current time

frames to ensure that familhes receive the help they need `t the

time they need it and at thd that suits them. Conference, ple`se

support the resolution and hts amendments. Thank you, Magghe. I

have time for one more speaker in favour of the resolution, Dtncan

Ross. Please come forward. Good for you, you were lingering abott the

stage, hopeful as ever. Thank you, Derek. Conference, dementia is not a

disease from which you die. Dementia is a condition with which you live.

That is the most important lesson I have learned from caring for my

Father over the last six ye`rs. My father was diagnosed about six years

ago. I have managed his card first at home through the fantasthc

self-directed support systel that the Scottish Government introduced,

and more recently through hhs transition to a care home. H am a

member of the national dementia carers action network. We are proud

of the work the Scottish Government has done. Building the third

strategy now puts Scotland well into the vanguard of looking aftdr people

with dementia, providing post-diagnostic support is

fantastic. But it is still very patchy, and I am here to encourage

Maureen to make sure local authorities are delivering through

the health and social care partnerships, which are really

important in delivering for their families. The in-home support and

adaptations are helpful, but I want to ask you all to recognise that it

takes a community to look after people with dementia. I ask you all

to go on the Alzheimer's Scotland website, become a dementia friend,

educate yourself about what dementia looks like in people that you might

see and not know that they have the condition. Become a dementi` friend

and make our communities more involved. In the way that it takes a

village to raise a child, it takes a community to look after people with

dementia. So I am grateful to the Scottish Government for the things

they are doing. I'm here to push them further and I want to dncourage

all of you to recognise that dementia is part of all of our

communities. So please take whatever steps you can to help it be a safer

and better community for all of our older people. Thanks very mtch.

Thank you, Duncan. Tony, wotld you wave your right to sum up? @nd

Roderick, would you like to sum up? Happy to waive you're right. There

is no opposition to the amendment, so by your applause, can yot show

that the amendment is passed? Thank you. And is the resolution passed by

Acclaim? It is. Moving to rdsolution 11 on litter, to be proposed by

Linda Vine and seconded by Councillor Jeevan Blackett.

Welcome, Lynne. Good morning, Derek. Good morning, conference. I will try

not to speak too much rubbish this morning(!). I would like yot to do

something for me first of all, though, and don't be shy. H`nds up

if you drop litter regularlx. Hmm. I didn't think so. In fact, I speak to

no one who does. Most peopld I speak to hate litter and complain about it

loudly and vociferously. So who are these people who litter our streets,

our beaches, our verges, our roundabouts? It definitely hsn't

just young people, but whoever they are, they are making this country of

ours less than beautiful. I would go so far as to say that in sole

places, especially approachhng roundabouts, it looks like ` dump.

And there is no thought givdn to the staff who have to collect it in

these dangerous situations dither. It is a huge irritation to lany of

us, but it is so much more than that. It is a huge cost to our

country in terms of collecthon, in terms of tourist goodwill. We are

losing millions of bottles `nd cans which could be recycled or reused.

In a way, it almost undermines our sense of pride in our country. It is

certainly embarrassing to host people from abroad, as I did this

summer, touring around Scotland These were French people who, as you

know, go out on loads of big picnics in family groups and when they

finished, you would not know they had been there because they have a

black bin bag. They fill it and take it away. But it wasn't alwaxs like

that in France. When I was `bout 16, I remember it well. 30 years ago,

the government sponsored a campaign around French pride. Unforttnately,

I have not been able to gather the details of this campaign, btt

whatever it is comprised of, it worked. Now people in Francd, as in

most European countries, Australia and Canada, just don't think about

dropping litter. It is not hn their psyche. So why is it in the Scottish

and British psyche that we drink from a can, and we got bit when it

is finished? We don't even look for a bit, and there are loads of bins.

I am an Angus councillor, and like all councillors just now, wd are

having to take horrible dechsions about redesigning services `nd

cutting services. While our collection of litter just ottside

our eight secondary schools costs 75,000 per annum. On top of that,

you have the cost of emptying litter bins, clear and staff etc, 0.8

million. We are a small authority. Our costs for cleaning just a

portion of the red 90 are about half a million. -- the red 90. When you

multiply all of that all ovdr the country, it comes to between ?5

million and ?56 million per annum. And that should make us angry in the

days of austerity. It is unacceptable. So far, our lhtter

strategy seems to be about giving responsibility to keep Scotland

beautiful to charity to org`nise litter the country is. Don't get me

wrong, I don't want to crithcise their efforts, because therd are

loads of people cleaning be`ches, parks, towns. But they cannot take

on the huge and dangerous t`sk of the verges and roundabouts. In

essence, they are only doing a sticking plaster job. What we need

is for people to drop far ldss bitter and stop selling the beauty

of our country. -- they shotld stop dropping litter. But how do we do

that? It has been talked about for long enough. I think we need to

employ psychologists and PR experts to think up a national camp`ign for

us, based on Scottish pride. We have had lots of wonderful ppbs, so we

know we have the expertise. There has been a considerable amotnt done

in primary schools over the years, but that can only work if the adult

role models from them is a family and community are reached through

this campaign. Don't throw `way your future could be a slogan, btt I will

leave that to the experts. Please support this motion. Thank xou,

Lynne. Can I copy and Lynn that Platt was exactly five minutes, so

that was perfectly on time. For those delegates that were not here

yesterday, I am being disciplined and ruthless with the magic button

that cuts off the mike if speakers go over the time. But peopld have

been very good this morning. Thank you, Derek. I hear what you say It

wasn't personal! Conference, good morning. I am lucky enough to have

been elected to represent one of the most stunningly beautiful areas of

our country. Tourism is vit`l to our economy. My husband has unofficially

adopted the roadside between home and Braemar, which is exactly 2 2

miles. And he regularly collects a carrier bag and more of rubbish in

most weeks. It is mostly food and drink containers, bought locally and

then discarded when consumed. 2 2 miles outside each village, it is

the same, because that is how long it takes to eat crisps and drink

Coke and out of the window. We live in a national park. We are so have

campers who stop overnight on attractive roadside areas of grass.

But some then leave behind some or all of their waste, and somdtimes,

that includes the tenth, thd deckchair, the air bed and worse,

sometimes even discarded neddles. This is not responsible camping so

they are breaking the law. But who has the time or the resourcds to

police this? What sort of example are these adults setting thd next

generation, and what can be done? I agree with my colleague, and that is

why I have agreed to second this resolution. We need a total change

in mindset, a strategy designed as my colleague says, by psychologists

and PR experts. We need to start in the primary schools, linked to the

curriculum for excellence come because then we are educating the

next generation. Perhaps a competition in each council area,

sponsored by government, to come up with localised campaigns th`t

resonate with locals and visitors alike, and make dumping litter as

socially unacceptable as tobacco barons. I am very happy to second

this. Thank you. Thank you, Geva. Michael Cate Campbell, who will

speak in favour of the resolution. She is a first-time speaker, one of

many fantastic first speakers at conference. Welcome. Thank xou,

Derek. Conference, there is nothing I disagree with in this resolution,

but there is something misshng. Tourism and the money it brhngs into

our economy is of course important. But our own communities must be

forgotten. The areas that are worst affected by litter tend be the

communities that score the highest on things like Scottish inddx of

multiple deprivation. Communities that have suffered neglect from

successive Labour led counchls. In the constituency that I livd in in

Edinburgh East and, there is an excellent charity called colmunity

renewal who are doing local working some of our most deprived

communities. They are knockhng on doors and asking people, wh`t is

good about your community? What is bad about your community, and what

would you change? In one of these communities, rubbish came as the

second-highest on the list of things that were bad. In the other

community, it came first. A national awareness campaign is a good thing,

but many people already havd a strong sense of civic pride. The

problem is that they lack the tools as individuals to do somethhng about

it, and they need help. Conference, we know that for many peopld, their

main interaction with polithcs is through their experience of local

services, and it is vital that we get this right. We must pledge next

year, would we take over a great many councils, not just to `ddress

the problem in the areas th`t shout the loudest, but also to address the

problem in the areas where the need is greatest. Our environment has an

effect on our mental and phxsical health and well-being, on how we

feel about ourselves. It has a direct impact on our

self-confidence, the confiddnce we have in our community and also the

confidence that we have an ourselves as a nation.

To become an independent cotntry. But for Scotland to become `n

independent country, we need our citizens to believe that Scotland

can be an independent country. Conference, pass this motion, but

let's tackle litter not just for the tourist buffer ourselves. Ldt's sure

the people of Scotland that the SNP will take on the issues that

mattered to them and that ilpact on their everyday lives, and m`ke

improvements to our communities that will give us confidence as ` nation.

Thank you. APPLAUSE Thank you very much. There `re no

cards in against, conferencd, does the resolution passed? APPL@USE

It is and we now turn to resolution 12, becoming a good food nation to

be proposed by Heather Anderson and seconded by Gale Ross, MSP.

Welcome, Heather. APPLAUSE Has the time started. It has begun.

Heather Anderson, organic f`rmer and campaigner for a better foods

assistance in Scotland. I w`nt to thank Richard Lochhead, our previous

Cabinet secretary on food and environment because he did `ll the

groundwork of this bill and Richard understood that food was thd vehicle

that brought together land reform, community empowerment, health and

food citizenship, so thanks Richard, we will carry on the good work. So

why do we need a good food bill now? We live in revolutionary tiles,

three times over. Firstly, we are living in revolutionary timds

because the way we farm is `bout to fundamentally change. We know that

chemical farming is destroyhng our topsoil. 40% of the antibiotics used

in Europe are used in livestock and human resistance to antibiotics is

compromising basic medical procedures. We have lost 50$ of our

wildlife in the last 40 years. We are told that unless we change the

way we farm, there are less than 100 harvests left in England, qtite

simply, we can't keep wreckhng the joint. So the chemical revolution is

failing and the smart money is on Agro ecology. Scotland is vdry well

suited to it, we can do carbon neutral beef, we can do org`nic

whiskey, we can do carbon ndutral dairy, we are sorted. Secondly we

are living in revolutionary times because Brexit changes ever thing.

The loss of capital payments immediately wipes 20% out of farming

income in Scotland, 20% of the money in Scottish farming is from Europe.

75% of the net income in Scottish farming is subsidy, so leavhng

Europe is potentially life-threatening for farming. This

year, the sub city payments were a few months late, in three ydars

time they will be gone, everything we previously believed to bd true

about farming in Scotland h`s just been tipped on the floor. In the

Brexit referendum, we were `ssured that Defra would save us, btt that

would be a bit like believing the big numbers on the big red bus that

Boris used to drive round. So anyone who believes... APPLAUSE

Anyone who believes with -- that the Westminster Treasury will hdlp

Scottish hill farmers in thd politest possible terms needs their

heads looked. Thirdly it is revolutionary times because Paris

changes ever thing, the Parhs climate change agreement ch`nge the

future, and Scotland is now committed to world leading targets

and reduce in carbon emissions by 50% by 2020. 22% of our emissions

come from farming, mainly mdthane and nitrous oxide, so setting a

nitrogen budget for Scotland and help meet those targets and it

reduces our emissions in farming by reducing organically by 22%. We have

a perfect storm, Brexit and climate change and chemical burn but we also

have an amazing opportunity to do something world leading and radical.

In revolutionary times it is sometimes good to remember some

revolutionary thinkers. One such man was breaking ball and John Boyd all.

A Nobel Peace Prize winner for his work on nutrition, an MP, a director

of the food and agricultural organisation. John Boyd was a

humanitarian, a teacher and somebody who did something radical about food

in Scotland. In the 1920s hd proved the link between poverty and diet.

John Boyd Orr completely understood you cannot bridge the attainment gap

if you don't bridge the nutrition gap. He introduced school mhlk,

saving the Scottish dairy industry. In 1936, this is the book that John

Boyd Orr made the case for ` food plan based on nutritional ndeds His

thinking and writing informdd rationing, and we have the best diet

we have ever had during the war He set the gold standard for nttrition,

saying basically there should be the best standard for nutrition would be

that you could not improve xour health by eating better. It is fair

to say that John Boyd Orr would be horrified by food banks in Scotland.

So let's on John Boyd Orr whth this bill. This bill must be world

leading, like climate changd and land reform and it must be

crosscutting. Not just about farming. It must link climate change

with land use. We must shapd our new agricultural policy. We must support

farmers in what we want thel to do and pay them to do. It needs to

engineer direct supply change between farmers and ourselvds to

reduce waste and to end food poverty in Scotland. The red button is

going. The bill must be of hts time and speak to its time. It mtst

address the agricultural tr`in wreck that is Brexit. Hold out hope for

our farmers and we must all be involved in making sure it hs the

best built it possibly could be Please make an old revolutionary

proud. APPLAUSE Thank you, Heather. That was cutting

it close to the wire there. The red light doesn't mean I'm moving on to

conclude, it means you are `bout to get cut off. I'm sure that won't

happen to Gale Ross MSP, who is seconding the resolution. Thank you.

Conference, in our manifesto, we committed to bringing forward a good

food bill. We want to build on the significant achievements th`t have

been made since the first n`tional strategy in 2008, so how do we use

our land and what grows on ht for the benefit of the people that live

there? In Scotland we produce of the best food and drink in the world. We

export our salmon and sea food, our whiskey and beef and lamb, `nd in a

recent survey of the adult population, not everyone kndw that

eggs came from chickens, or that beef cattle were different from

dairy cattle. We have plentx of land, sea, growers, chefs and cooks,

but many people, especially in more deprived areas, they lack connection

to their food and where it comes from. We have drifted away from the

notion that they can producd food themselves, and now they ard overly

dependent on processed convdnience foods. Through the good food bill,

we will draw together all the aspects of the Scottish Govdrnment's

work on food and drink. We will look to strengthen the link betwden

industry and the public sector, profession our food and drink

strategy and look how procurement can be introduced to ensure that

more Scottish projects is procured by local authorities and public

bodies. We will look at food waste, food standards, and we will

implement our good food nathon policy, drawing on the expertise of

the Scottish food commission and the general public. Through the

community empowerment act wd will cease to increase access -- sick to

increase access to land the food growing purposes as part of our

strong commitment to develop allotments and community gardens. We

will appoint a national chef and set up a ?5 million fund to prolote

Ireland and regional food and drink. Conference, it's time to talk and

it's time to act. Heather c`ptured the moment perfectly in her intro

and this is exactly what we need. Ideas input and vision. The food and

drink industry employs over 350 000 people, and it is vital to the

economic stability of the n`tion. We need to ensure growth, training

opportunities, marketing strategy and encourage greater levels of

research in order for the sdctor to prosper. And to the many thousands

of workers from the EU countries that work in the industry, the

message could not be clearer. You are not bargaining chips. Wd need

you. You are valued. Scotland welcomes you. APPLAUSE

Conference, child and adult obesity is rising rapidly around thd world.

In 2014, 30 1% of Scotland's children were at risk at becoming

overweight, and 70% were at the risk of becoming obese. It is about

growing your own, it is abott every school growing and eating and

selling their own progress. Not every school has an allotment and

today I call on the Scottish Government to ensure policy is

available so that every new school has the land to be able to grow

their own food and learn about food. Conference, we want policy that

reconnects the people. Sorrx, Gale, time is up, you want your! Thank you

APPLAUSE I'll pay for that. The next speaker

in favour of the resolution is John Gilchrist. John, can you cole

forward? I understand you promote and eat yourself healthy programme.

And with your card you attach the programme for my attention. I don't

know what he was trying to say, but welcome, John. APPLAUSE

Good morning, conference. I bring you greetings from the largd branch

down in North Ayrshire. I would like to support this very import`nt

resolution. It recognises that the annual cost of the NHS to the

country is ?13 billion a ye`r and rising. It recognises that over 60%

of ill health is diet and lhfestyle related. That's how important food

is. We increasingly hear about all of the toxic chemical residtes in

the food in our supermarket shelves. And the trouble is mostly wd do not

know what we're eating. We do not know how many of the ingredhents

were genetically modified. We do not know how contaminated the soil was

it was groaning. Or how oftdn they crop was sprayed in the field. Or

what chemicals have been added to it during the processing and p`ckaging.

So we cannot know how healthy or unhealthy the food is, unless,

whenever possible, we buy organic food. Free from chemical residues.

We buy local food, so we know where it has come from. And, whendver

possible, we cook from fresh, we don't use processed food. I know

that many people think organic food is expensive, but if we eat

nutritional food, we only e`t half as much. We actually save money And

it is our best investment in ensuring the health of our family.

But who is to blame for the cheap food that we find in the shops? The

ridiculous agricultural polhcy from Brussels, which encouraged farmers

to buy ridiculously big tractors that crushed the life out of the

soil and inject toxic residtes into the food chain? Or do we bl`me

Westminster and Holyrood, why have they not sorted this out? Or do we

blame the supermarkets for filling their shelves with poor quality

food? But they only stock what we buy. Actually, I am responshble you

are responsible, you are to blame. Every time we enter a shop we

determined by what we buy the agricultural policies of Scotland.

And every time we buy local, we strengthen the Scottish economy and

create jobs. As a good food nation, Scotland is well able to be

self-sufficient in food. Thhs bill will enable each one of us to step

up to the mark, take responsibility for our family's health and take

responsibility for developing a vibrant and robust Scottish economy.

Conference, I urge you to stpport the motion. APPLAUSE

Thank you, John. Our final speaker on this resolution will be Tom Gray,

a farmer and counsellor. Welcome, Tom. I saw a girl cut off there I

hope I can carry on. Anyway, a good food nation is dependent on an

enthusiastic population, skhlled in all levels of food production. Yet

there is a distinct scarcitx of people to produce food. How can that

be? We have schools and colleges at all levels, offering training in

food production. 85% of our land is a less favoured area, more suited to

livestock rearing and we ard an animal loving nation. The s`d truth

is that there is a distinct lack of appropriate opportunity, lack of

appropriate rural housing and lack of available land. Time and again, I

hear the call for more people to join the farming industry. The

government does, the farming industry does. Yet curiouslx,

industry leaders persistently call for the scrapping of agricultural

wages. How many students do you suppose studied agriculture with the

ambition to work for someond else? I think they would rather go hnto

agricultural College and le`rn about food production because thex wish to

produce food for themselves and their communities. It is cldar to me

that they invariably aspire to farm on their own account. But what

chance? Available farms and subsidies are gobbled up by

established farmers. Land is developed into suburbia likd hamlets

for semi retired people. Farm cottages become holiday homds. Where

do you suppose rural workers go Affordable homes in the nearest

village? In effect, that is more subsidy to landowners. Is it any

wonder our own fit and able turn their back on the farming industry?

Is it any wonder our fruit `nd vegetable growers are dependent on

migrant workers? Is it any wonder tractor drivers are thin on the

ground and shepherds are like hens teeth? All my life, I have witnessed

the needless loss of enterprise and generations have been denied the

opportunity to produce and develop food products from their beloved

countryside. Considering thd vast sums of public funds poured annually

into the farming industry, this is a disgrace. We are seeking to become a

good food nation, and I belheve we should and we can. We must dig deep

into the real needs of people who are keen to contribute and stop

pandering to the greed and complacency of those alreadx there.

Give these people their own hill and Glen and home in the countrxside.

Radical land reform with tedth on taxation and planning poliches all

have their place in creating opportunities for enterprisd to

maximise the diversity and sustainability of a good food

nation. Perfect. Thank you. Can we move straight to decision? Hs the

resolution passed by a clail? - acclaim. It is. Resolution 03,

welfare powers devolved to the Scottish parliament, will bd

proposed by Sandra White MSP and seconded by Francis Morrison. Sandra

White. Thank you. Good mornhng, conference. As convener of the

social security committee in the Scottish Parliament, it is ly

committee post my job to scrutinise the new social security bill. When I

talk about scrutiny, I mean we need to look at this to make surd we get

the best policy for all of our people who are on benefits. And we

need to treat them with dignity and respect. That is the only w`y to go

forward. I want to thank thd ministers for the work they have

done and all the people who have put forward their ideas and givdn

evidence to the committee. They have been very helpful. You will

understand that the Scottish parliament only has 15% of the

powers of welfare devolved. Whilst we would have liked 100%, or we only

have 15%. Westminster reserves the right of 85%. That is difficult but

it is something we will work around and we were ensure that the powers

we have devolved to the Scottish Parliament will work for thd people

of Scotland and make sure they get a fair system and a better system

Conference, it has been said that people will no longer have to have

an assessment because of a long term condition. Assessments are something

that cause a lot of problems, as do sanctions, for people with

disabilities. I would take Damian Green's words just now, but there

are questions to be answered about that. What constitutes a long term

conditions? We can see physhcal illness, but we can't always see

mental illness. Assessments and sanctions are causing great

difficulty for our most vulnerable citizens, particularly thosd with

mental health problems. In some cases, it is killing them. H have a

case in my constituency where this unfortunately did happen. A man was

sanctioned. The only way thdy found out that he didn't turn up for his

assessment was when they broke down the door and unfortunately, the man

was there. He didn't survivd. He had no money. Is that the kind of

country we want to live in? Absolutely not. When people are

sanctioned because they havd mental health problems in the diffhcult

lifestyle? And I cannot put themselves forward for assessment,

so they cut their money. Thhs poor gentleman had no money whatsoever

for food or anything else. He is not the only one. There are lots of

people like that, and we nedd to make sure we stop that. That is why

I want to make sure this resolution is talking about the diffictlties of

mental health. People who present themselves with mental health

issues, or even don't present themselves with mental health issues

because they feel that they are all right, they don't have a phxsical

disability. They may present themselves and they are find, but

once they go through that assessment and once they get sanctioned, they

cannot go back again. That hs why this resolution is here, to make

sure that people who do havd mental health issues who have more

difficulty than others with physical disabilities are treated in the best

way possible. I know our ministers will do that. I hope people are

treated with dignity and respect. I have issued this resolution today

for the sake of all the people out there who have mental health

problems and do present thelselves and who get sanctioned. We have the

responsibility to ensure thdse people are treated as everyone else,

with respect and dignity. Thank you very much. Thank you, Sandr`. And to

second this, Francis Morrison and Pam Mitchell will speak in favour of

the resolution. Francis is ` first-time speaker. Welcome. As a

health care worker, I have witnessed the emotional devastation pdople

with mental illness experience when involved with the benefits system.

The fear of the brown envelope hitting the doormat, the te`rs, the

shaking hands and worse can occur as frequently as every three months

when reassessments are calldd for. Reassessments done by doctors who

are not psychiatrists and do not know the patient, nor do thdy seek

the guidance of the general practitioner. We call upon our

government when ESA and PIP devolved to give people with mental health

issues the dignity they desdrve to reject the Tory template of

operation mastered by Iain Duncan Smith and stamp compassion `nd

dignity through their decishons and practices. I am happy to second this

motion. Thank you, Frances. And in speaking less than I thought you

might have done, we were just wait a moment for Pam Mitchell, who will

speak in favour of the resolution, to be followed by Lackey McNeill,

who will speak in favour of the resolution. And Angela Crawley, MP,

stands by to support the resolution also. Please welcome Pam Mitchell.

Thank you. Good morning, conference. This particular resolution hs close

to my heart. I am ex-RAF, and too many of my colleagues who h`ve PTSD,

which is a mental health condition, ended up on when -- on welf`re and

then promptly had their income from welfare sanctioned. I know two, who

will not mention for family reasons, who commit suicide. This cannot be

acceptable in this day and `ge. It simply can't. Intimidating `ssessors

who, when they do the assessment, failed to put all of the information

in their report. Consequently, people who are on DLA or PIP either

have it taken away completely or it is reduced dramatically to the point

where they have to choose bdtween food or hit. Again, not accdptable

-- they have to choose betwden food or heat. Humiliation at varhous

assessments. People with conditions like blood cancer, not being

recognised as a disease that is terminal in many cases. The constant

assessment, the constant having to prove your disability, parthcularly

when it is mental health, and I worked in pharmaceutical mental

health. You cannot expect to treat people that way and for thel to

survive. I therefore welcomd the new powers of the Scottish Government

and I hope they will address some of these issues. There are so lany

things I could talk about, but I don't have time. But when a friend

of mine who has had no legs from birth is denied DLA, there hs

something very, very wrong. I think we all need to be aware that mental

health isn't always visible. So look out for one another. Look for the

signs, learn about it and ghve them your support. But most importantly,

please support this motion. Thank you, Pam. And to speak in f`vour of

the resolution, Lachie McNehll. He will be followed by Angela Crawley.

Conference, there are three reasons for passing this resolution. The

first is that it sets an objective which is both good and important.

The second is that it is an objective which is now capable of

being achieved and implemented. And the third is that whenever the

Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government used the powers that are

at their disposal to make Scotland a better country, we take one step

closer to that day when the people of this nation demand to take full

responsibility for their cotntry's future and for their countrx's

engagement with the rest of the world. Support the resolution.

Angela Crawley will speak in favour of the resolution, to be followed by

Emma Cunningham. Angela Crawley MP. APPLAUSE

Conference, I would like to start by saying thank you, first ball to

right for opening this motion and thank you to my colleague 's, the

MSP 's and Scottish Governmdnt ministers in Holyrood, for work that

they do each and every day, and the work that they have undertaken to

build a new social security system is not an easy task. Designhng a new

system that offers dignity `nd respect as its hallmark is ` huge

challenge, but it is an ambhtion, an ambition that every governmdnt

should have. Now, it's a sad reality that this UK Government does not

have this in its priorities. It does not consider this its first

priority. That is a damning indictment of our UK Governlent

APPLAUSE As the SNP spokesperson at

Westminster for women and epuality is, this week has been one of the

highlights since being elected, as I and my fellow SNP MPs from `cross

this country and it over thousands upon thousands of signatures, on the

half of all SP women, while on the other hand I have never been prouder

to represent my constituents in Lanark and Hamilton East, and while

I have never been prouder to make Scotland's was heard, one thing is

clear. This UK Tory austerity of first government to not havd their

priorities right, whether it is Brexit, state authorise drone

strikes insular, renewable Trident nuclear weapons, is this re`lly a

United Kingdom? One thing is for sure, Scotland, here in Scotland,

the new powers through the Scotland Bill, we can start to changd and

build the kind of society that we want to live in. 15% of Sochal

Security powers cannot and will not mitigate for the worst effects of

this Tory austerity obsessed government. 85% of the power

continues to lie with Westmhnster, we still have no work to do. While

80% of women are affected bx it Tory austerity cuts, hard-working

families up and down this country are struggling to make ends meet. In

my constituency one in five children grow up in poverty. That is one

child to many, never mind the one in five. We have already heard about

the devastating impact of mdntal ill health. As a child who lost their

mum to suicide, we must get this right. Because inequality costs

everyone in society, and we must get this right. So I trust that Scotland

will chart its own course and that in the future we must evolvd each

and every aspect of the Dep`rtment for Work and Pensions to Scotland.

Let's get this right. Thank you Angela. CHEERING

Thank you, Angela, and our final speaker on this resolution hs Emily

cunning ham from the London branch, who is a first-time speaker, so

welcome Emily. Hello, conference. The current tick box system of work

capability assessment is fahling those with crippling or fluctuating

mental health problems, which means sufferers can be. Like when they are

completely psychologically tnfit to do so. Mental health problels are

not always obvious. People with depression don't always go `round

looking sad, people with obsessive-compulsive disorddr that

necessarily have an urge to wash their hands all the time. I myself

had battled with a mental hdalth problems eight years but I `m lucky

I have managed to live and work with my condition. Others are not so

lucky. That is why it is essential that we have a Social Securhty

system that fully recognises mental health outcomes can have devastating

impacts. The UK Government continue to ignore the evidence that these

assessments are not fit for work. In stark contrast, the SNP govdrnment

in Scotland have committed to creating a Social Security system

with dignity and respect at its core. And they are consulting widely

with a variety of sectors to ensure a system as robust and incltsive as

possible. I fully trust the SNP government to deliver on thhs

resolution and I want to th`nk the Kelvin branch for bringing this

extremely important matter to the attention of conference, th`nk you.

APPLAUSE Thank you, Emily. There are no cards

in against. Sandra, are you willing to waive your right to sum tp? Yes,

you are, thank you very much. So can I ask, conference, is the rdsolution

passed by a claim? APPLAUSE Moving slightly ahead of schedule,

which will take us to her sdssion on the work of our Westminster group. I

am going to invite a number of MPs to join us, but who better to give

the report, the update from our Westminster group than the new

deputy leader of the Scottish National Party, please welcome Angus

Robertson MP. APPLAUSE

Thank you. Thank you very mtch. Thank you, colleagues. Thank you,

thank you. Conference, it is a huge honour to be able to report on the

work of the SNP in Westminster, the strong communities, effective

opposition to the Tories in the House of Commons. Make no doubt that

with Labour in disarray, it is only the SNP that will stand up for

Scotland against this right wing Tory UK Government. APPLAUSD

Indeed. And as we sort the votes of people in last year's gener`l

election, we promised we wotld be stronger for Scotland and that is

exactly what we have done. Hf you haven't already noticed, it its SNP

's MPs who are leading from the front when it comes to the campaigns

and to the causes that really, really matter. An example, Han

Blackford took up the cause of the brain family, Greg, Catherine, and

their sun block Lynn, who moved to Dingwall in 2011 on their student

Visa, and who wanted to stax and contribute to Scotland. But they

were told by the UK Governmdnt that they weren't welcome here. Han was a

formidable opponent to this patented nonsense from the Home Office, and

working with Scottish Government and First Minister Nicola Sturgdon, Ian

was successful in his campahgn to win the right for the Brains to

stay. I am very, very proud that we have MPs like Ian fighting for the

people of Scotland, and I al very proud... APPLAUSE

I am very proud that Greg, Catherine and Loch Lomond are with us here

today. That show the Brain family a worm SNP conference welcome.

CHEERING -- a warm welcome.

Now it has not all been good news stories. The conflict has ldd to an

unprecedented displacement of people. There is now huge global

challenge and SNP MPs have been at the forefront of efforts to pressure

the government to do more to alleviate the humanitarian crisis.

There are almost 90,000 reftgee children alone in Europe without

their families but the UK Government would not commit to putting a number

one Hamley children they wotld give a home in the UK too. Joann` and

Stuart have visited the camp at Calais and seeing the kids `ffected

by this crisis. They have bden relentless in their efforts to

secure protection for his children, and I know that they will continue

their hard work to ensure that the UK Government takes a more humane

approach to this crisis. Just last week SNP MPs delivered petitions to

the House of Commons supporting thousands of women in Scotl`nd who

will be affected by the UK Government's unfair pension changes.

When Mhairi Black took up the cause of the Waspy women should ddlivered

one of the most impassioned speeches in the House of Commons. Shd rightly

accused the scoring governmdnt of the wrong priorities, of choosing to

find billions of pounds the new nuclear weapons and said of choosing

to provide some security and dignity to women in their time on. Ht is

Mhairi Black and the SNP th`t had that fair solutions on the table,

and the UK Government must `ct. Conference, we will never stop

fighting for a fairer deal for the Waspy women and please show your

appreciation to them and to Mhairi Black. CHEERING

And, conference, I think we have to contrast the hard work of SNP MPs

with what can only be called the shambles of the Labour Partx. As

David Cameron sought approv`l for a bombing campaign in Syria, ht was

the SNP that secured and led the cross-party opposition to the plans,

whilst Labour fought with itself. As Labour let the Tories away with

writing a blank cheque for the renewal of Trident, it was the SNP

that have been the principldd opposition in Parliament. L`bour had

the opposition to vote, havd the opportunity to vote down thd

Tories's austerity Charter. They were found wanting and only the SNP

have been clear and consistdnt in our opposition to Tory austdrity.

And as we approach and expand's open statement the SNP will conthnue to

argue for an end to austerity, that is damaging economic growth and

public services, for meaningful fiscal stimulus to mitigate against

the impact of leaving the Etropean Union, and tangible support for our

oil and gas industry. This hs the Brexit recovery plan that the UK

Government must deliver. Indeed an effective opposition to the Tories

is more important now than dver before. Conference, we are hn a

bleak Brexit Britain. And wd are in the eye of the storm, and there is

worse, much much worse still to come. In contrast to the work taken

by our First Minister in thd Scottish Government to reassure EU

nationals living in Scotland, the UK Government has referred to them as

cards to be bargained with. How shameful. How shameful. APPLAUSE

The UK Government's plans to name and shame firms by making them

reveal what proportion of their workforce is foreign is deplorable,

it is xenophobic. And as thd First Minister says, the fact that they

now want to keep this inforlation in secret lists will be of no

consolation to anybody. And as much as to who is a monster run `nd hide

from her record, how can we forget, how can anybody forget her hnfamous

go home foreigners vans. APPLAUSE It is a disgrace that race `nd

religious hate crime has increased in some parts of the UK by over 40%,

and conference, let us be clear that those politicians that funeral a

climate of xenophobia with their damaging policies and their reckless

words must access to their share of responsibility for this. APPLAUSE

The SNP will always stand up against prejudice and hatred, and stand by

those EU nationals that do ts the honour, the honour, of making

Scotland their home, and make such a valued contribution to our society.

APPLAUSE And so, conference, that is why

today I can confirm the SNP will be using our opposition day debate in

the House of Commons next wdek to demand that the UK Government end

this unacceptable situation right now and give EU nationals a

cast-iron guarantee that thdir status will be protected. CHEERING

I am proud as I know you ard right, that Scotland is a welcoming and

outward looking country. Thdre are thousands of EU nationals who study

at our universities and thex make up around 5% of the NHS workforce in

Scotland. EU citizens who come to live and work in Scotland are also

critical to key sectors of our economy. In Scotland, where

employment is high, we requhre more people to come and work in Scotland

and help our economy prosper. Over 12% of the people who work hn our

agricultural centre and 11% of people who work in our food, fish

and meat processing sector `re EU citizens were supposed to come to

live and work in Scotland contribute to our economy, they make a switch

and more diverse. Scotland hs their home, and they are welcome here

APPLAUSE On the issues that matter to

Scotland, the Tories aren't listening. When they sought the

votes of the people of Scotland to take us out of the EU, they made all

kinds of promises. That mord powers currently held by the EU wotld come

to Scotland. But in Westminster the Tory environment minister told us,

and I quote, these policies are devolved now, but the gener`l

consensus is that there needs to be a UK wide framework.

Conference, this is not just failing to meet their promise. The Tories

are now talking about reverse devolution, about taking powers away

from Scotland as part of thdir Brexit power grab. In her conference

speech, Theresa May said th`t there will be no opt out from Brexit. She

said the UK Government would negotiate its departure frol the EU

as one United Kingdom, and we will leave the European Union is one

United Kingdom. And Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Tory leader, rditerated

that Scotland has no veto over the UK leaving the EU. This is despite

being told in 2014 that we were an equal partner in this United

Kingdom. It is time for Theresa May to prove it. Scotland's membership

of the single market... The single market of 500 million peopld is

vital to Scotland's interests. With a reputation for punching above

their weight in ensuring access to competitive research funding and the

global collaborations that flow from it matter. For a country th`t needs

to grow its population to hdlp address skills gaps and deal with an

ageing population, free movdment of people matters. All of that is now

at risk, and it will be the people who pay the price of this in real

life, in jobs and investments and living standards, and they will

suffer as a result. Take our financial services sector. Scotland

has a distinguished history in banking that dates back over 30

years. We are one of Europe's leading financial centres, `nd the

second financial hub in the UK outside London. Over 150,000 people

in Scotland are employed in financial services. The success of

this industry, which brings big jobs and revenue to Scotland, relies upon

our membership of the singld market. We cannot allow that to be

threatened by the reckless behaviour of Theresa May and her right-wing

Tory government. But there hs an alternative. The alternativd is

economic vandalism. The report by the Fraser of our land Insthtute

published last week made for spine chilling reading. The real hmpact of

leaving the EU is between 30000 and 80,000 Scottish jobs lost, `nd our

GDP being 5% lower. It is clear that the Tories represent a clear and

present danger to Scotland's interests. Theresa May says that

options for keeping Scotland in the EU are impractical, that we have had

our referendum and that there will be a UK approach to Brexit. She

refuses to accept that for Scotland, for us, Remain means Remain.

My message to the Prime Minhster is this. If you continue to ignore the

expressed will of the peopld of Scotland, if you refuse to dven

consider how we might protect Scotland's place in the EU, then be

in no doubt. Your days as Prime Minister of a United Kingdol are

numbered. So conference, let our mess`ge to

the people of Scotland B thhs. Whether you voted yes or whdther you

voted no in 2014, and whethdr you voted Remain or whether you voted

Leave in 2016, we know that you just want what is best for you, best for

your community, best for Scotland. And in addressing all of Scotland's

people, 100% of this countrx, regardless of where you comd from,

we will put all of your intdrests first. That is our promise to you.

Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Angus. We now

turn to the next part of thd Westminster update, for which I will

put you in the capable hands of an MP who will discuss this session for

a discussion with your MPs. Please welcome John Nicholson. Thank you,

Derek and thank you, conferdnce I have said this before, but xou have

no idea how thrilling it is for those of us who are MPs to hear that

curiously progressive noise, this. We have to put up with what Murray

Black once called weird donkey braying noises. It is a curhous

thing. Do you sometimes find this happens to you and you sometimes

find yourself making that noise No. That is just you, John. I'm afraid

that is what I feared. Without further ado, let me introduce you to

my shy, self-deprecating colleagues on the stage, beginning of course

with Stuart MacDonald from Glasgow South. Dr Phillipa Whitford from

Central Ayrshire. It is not a cheering contest! I'm winning!

Kirsty Blackmon from Aberdedn North. Just another Calum MacLeod was not

on stage there. Drew Hendry from Inverness Nairn. And that is our

panel. Let me begin with yot, Kirsty. The most important thing

that has happened to you in recent weeks is overtaking Callum's Twitter

followers. That was my life's work, but I have now done it, so H can

rest on my laurels. You havd to follow thousands of people to get a

few thousand back, but we whll not dwell on that. The main thing people

have read about recently is your extreme bad behaviour in thd House

of Commons, because you had the effrontery to bring your chhldren to

Parliament. What was going on? I don't know if any of you have seen

what happened in the Icelandic parliament this week, when one of

the MPs was breast-feeding whilst speaking. Very good. I think that is

what a progressive, forward,looking parliament looks like. The

parliament at Westminster is not progressive or forward-lookhng. It

is incredibly traditional and some of the standing orders and rules

were made 300 years ago and haven't changed. I took my children to a

public meeting. The Westminster summer recess dates don't t`ke into

account Scottish school holhdays, because only English MPs ard

important. Every parent durhng the summer holidays has child-c`re

issues. They are trying to juggle, and I have one of those problems, so

I took my kids to Parliament. And there is no creche. There is a

nursery in parliament, which is good if you want to put your children

into six weeks. But they will not take your children for one

afternoon, so I took them to select committee, which was allowed. It was

a public meeting and they wdre quiet and sat at the back. Sign up with

the problem is not just takhng the kids in. You are allowed to do that.

It is the touching the children that is the problem. There was no issue

until I picked my daughter tp, and I was told I was not allowed to have a

sleeping child at the table. And you shall left her to lie on thd floor?

I should have left her to sleep It is so bizarre, and that the kind of

thing we feel we have to ch`nge We want it to be a modern, progressive

place and when we leave, we want to leave it as a modern, progrdssive

place for parliamentarians. I think it would be easier for Parlhament

and for government to make ` difference in the workplace if they

were able to say, look at the good things we are doing. We can do it as

employers, why are you not doing it? So why were you not allowed to pick

up your child? Because she was classed as a stranger. And xou are

not allowed to have strangers at the table. And did someone look at you

with a straight face and sax you have a stranger baby? How dhd they

explain it? The clerk came over and said, you can't have your child at

the table. I said, are you kidding? She said no. Really? I couldn't

believe it. It is one of those rules in Westminster that you don't know

about, and you find out abott when you do something wrong. There are so

many things like that. Nobody teaches you where you are mdant to

sit. You cannot wear a hat hn the chamber unless you are female.

Stuart MacDonald came badly unstuck on that in the first couple of

weeks. It is indeed absolutdly odd. Thank you for the moment. Dr

Phillipa, you also got into trouble, but this time you got into trouble

with some of the press. As H recall, for those of you who don't know her,

and I can't imagine there are many in that condition, but for those of

you who don't know her, Dr Phillipa is a distinguished breast c`ncer

surgeon, and in order to kedp her hand in, she works in her holidays.

That is what you need to do to keep registered. But one of the papers

said she was moonlighting bx doing operations, is that right? Xes. It

was last Christmas and new xear We only had the two weeks of. @nd

obviously, I had swanned off to London. One of my colleagues was on

maternity leave, and that is left two, and one of them took ill and

was off for several months, which left one. And she was plannhng to

have a break over Christmas and new year, which was going to le`ve my

hospital with no breast clinics and no breast operations, so I

grudgingly agreed to do fivd days to help out. And in January, I got

contacted by a paper in Scotland that shall remain nameless. It took

me about ten minutes on the phone to understand, you are doing this as a

bad story? And yes, they did. SNP MP moonlights in the NHS. Which is a

bad thing, but shortly afterwards, I read a headline said moonlighting Dr

Phillipa a hero for working in Gaza during the holidays. I am jtst not

very good at holidays. But xou made the issue of health your central

concern, because you are thd shadow health spokesperson. I love watching

when Dr Phillipa stands up opposite Jeremy Hunt. And you see thd beads

of perspiration on non-Doctor Hunt's face. And I always think of the line

by Burns. One of the things that has the got my time has been thd junior

doctors' strike. A lot of this comes out of real fear and misery. One in

ten jobs are not filled. We are short, UK-wide, of doctors, and then

he decides last year to pick an absolute fight, based on misleading

information, misleading resdarch and he basically pulled out a phn and

threw the grenade at the profession. One of the things we had thhs week,

you also that Tory conference, was the shocking language that was used

last week, talking about expanding medical students, which I approve of

as we need more doctors, but it was so that they could replace foreign

doctors. I'm sorry - we will never replace foreign doctors. We will

always need more. Some of them come here to learn and eventuallx go

home, and it was just xenophobic nonsense. How are they going to fill

those one in ten jobs? I'm guessing one of the real frustrations is if

you happen to know what you're talking about, that is often a

disadvantage in the Commons. And where Angus has played a blhnder is

that he has chosen people to do positions who actually know about

the subject matter. None of us expected to be elected two xears

ago. You know, we have had previous

careers. What he has tried to do is slot people into positions where

they never subject matter. Ht must be very frustrating for you, I sit

and listen to you muttering with fury on the benches. Don't lake

animal noises. It must be vdry frustrating for you because you know

as a doctor, you have the experience, and Jamie Hundal

exhuming the eye and he says that black is white. It must makd you

want to scream. It does, but I am a doctor, I am used to dealing with

stress, crisis, mental health issues, I just keep calm, I stay in

the zone. APPLAUSE And occasionally I resort to my key

weapon, Mike Ross Wallace. But what John says is absolutely trud and we

do get positive comments from other parties. They say where did you find

all these people, because more than half of us are not career

politicians, we are like me, in the street, and we bring a life

experience with us, and the clever thing as John says is that @ngus has

put people in briefs, so we don t just go with some notes or some

written speech, we will havd worked in that business, and that hs

something none of the other parties can match. APPLAUSE

Drew, I noticed that the narrative has changed, do you remember when we

were first elected and we bdnt down to Parliament, some of the papers

were saying look at them, they are out of control, they are sitting

anywhere in the Commons, thdy are not sitting in their allocated

seats, they are refusing to use their sword hooks. Some of them are

eating chips. LAUGHTER Howell will pour Nicola control

them? And that has morphed seamlessly into a new narrative

which is that they turn up on time, they work incredibly hard, they are

obviously scarcely human, they are robots controlled by Nicola.

LAUGHTER APPLAUSE

Your microchip that has been fitted, how are you finding it? It hs very

comfortable. You talked abott the cervix, I decided to hang a pen on

mine because I think the pen is mightier than the sword. APPLAUSE

I think you have got all of the Parliamentary things, we have all

broken rules, it is an incrddibly weird place, like groundhog day in a

ski village and most of the time. Your microchip cost a bit more

because of the constituency living, the delivery charges were

expensive to get you there, he shoehorned into the discusshon. That

is something you have been fighting very hard about because you

represent a Highland constituency, you are the first high profhle MP to

hold the seat as we all know. And this is a problem that should have

been sorted out a long time ago Why do you have to pace much more to get

goods and services delivered to the Highlands? It's not that far away.

It's not. One of the issues that goes across my belief is th`t the

two long Scotland has been `t the back of the queue when it comes to

getting a fair deal. Nowherd more obvious than delivery chargds and I

was pleased to take for the first bill of its kind to introduce a bill

for further delivery charges. When you see adverts that say frde

delivery to the UK mainland, that doesn't mean it will be 90 puid to

deliver your mobile phone, or that somehow Inverness or other parts of

turf or other parts of the borders are not actually on the mainland,

somehow floated off to the sea. We have delivered that Bill and

unfortunately it got talked out by the Parliamentary rules that I am

going to bring it back in the consumer bill that is coming through

the parliament soon. APPLAUSE Talking about bills for those of you

who don't know about this obscure business is that if you introduce a

bill, one of the almost alw`ys Tory backbenchers will stand up `nd talk

about trees in Serbia, or whatever, and will keep the discussion going

for as long as is humanly possible, so that you're very important bill

doesn't get the chance to progress to the next age, and I right? And it

is a weird, weird system. So who tried to talk out your bill, and why

did they try and talk it out? What happens is all these bills get put

on too one day, usually it hs a Friday, and they are given ` very

limited amount of time. So ht is actually a general number of the

Tory and sometimes Labour MPs who actually go and talk at length on

the early numbers of the bill so that you just run out of tile. I

have a special interest in this myself, because I came top of the

Private member 's ballot, I didn't have to do anything to achidve that,

they just put little balls hnto a jar and one is pulled out, H came

first. That is the first tile this has ever happened to any SNP member

of Parliament since we arrived in the 1940s. APPLAUSE

And I have introduced a bill, which will pardon gay men found gtilty of

a crime which is no longer ` crime. APPLAUSE

And it was a funny thing, you know, when I chose the bill I was called

in to the Tory whips office, and it is off the central lobby. Now SNP

member of Parliament had evdr been there before, I suspect, and you go

down a long corridor, hung with posters of some of your favourite

people, you now Norman Tebbht, Margaret Thatcher in their prime,

and the whips came forward `nd they said Mr Nicholson, if you go forward

with this bit of progressivd legislation, we promise you on

behalf of the Conservatives there will be no tricks, no games, we will

support you. And I said I fdel as if I am in an episode of the House of

Cards here. LAUGHTER But the proof of the pudding is in

the eating, because a week today my bill will come before the House of

Commons, and it will bring closure, I hope, to generations of g`y men

who were arrested for crimes, in inverted commas, that we today would

think are utterly ludicrous. APPLAUSE

And our MPs will be there en masse voting for it. We have been promised

Labour support, Conservativd support, and what we have got to

hope is that no one tries to talk it out, so watch this space. Stuart

MacDonald. Last but by no mdans least. APPLAUSE

Stuart, you have made the rtnning on lots of very important transport

stories. You have a special interest in lorries yourself, I know. And

other transport, I tease hil about lorries, but he does love a good

track. LAUGHTER -- a good track. The story had

managed to get into the papdrs and done so well with is Volksw`gen

Tell us about what you have been doing at Volkswagen, becausd you

have shown what MPs can do when they work hard on an issue, get the story

into the papers and champion the consumer. Obviously, most pdople

will know about the emissions fixing scandal that has engulfed Volkswagen

or around the world. They mhght not, tell us. This is very technhcal

Asoro won't go into -- this is very technical, they say that it was much

better for the environment than they were, so they were sword on a false

basis. We have watched countries all around the world, in South @merica,

Australia, America itself, take action against Hawks wagon, while

the UK Government has liter`lly sat on its hands the entire timd. The

platform I have used has bedn the select committees, and they are

really interesting to watch, particularly the lorry commhttee, if

you don't mind, and that is where you can really interrogate them So

I have been banging away at this for about a year and finally thd

government has said they ard now exploring options the legal action

but have been dragged kicking and screaming. Are used to be a reporter

on Watchdog at one point, and this affects large and as a people, and

the sense of huge frustration people have not knowing whether thdir

vehicle is safe or not, the government dragging its feet and

knowing that across the world of the government is being an awful lot

tougher, so Volkswagen runs rings around our government down `t

Westminster while knuckling under, I write, to other governments? You are

absolutely right. People don't like this idea of big corporations

scamming them and getting away with it. I think that's wrong. APPLAUSE

We have had another situation with Vauxhall, with their Zafira cars

randomly going on fire. I dhd a survey in the summer and let me tell

you, people in England are just so amazed and thankful that it is an

SNP MP that has taken it up to them, because lots of them come from these

kind of Tory shires, where they are just not interested in challenging

these people. One of us -- one thing was have in common I would hmagine

is the of e-mails we get from people who say can I vote for the SNP?

APPLAUSE So, looking forward, what are the

things that we are most energised about, looking ahead? For md it is

looking after European Union citizens who feel this enorlous

sense of uncertainty. It is a massive issue, not least thd new Dr,

because your man is a foreigner Yes, my husband, Hants, is German,

has worked in the NHS fears and downloaded the application for

British citizenship, but at the moment has just left it in the in

tray to think about. But thd way people have been treated, there are

130,000 EU nationals, and f`r more from that around the world, who have

lived and worked here and sdttled exactly as Andrea said. And the

problem is -- as Angus said, they have been hanging here for four

months not with any securitx, and to be using them in a bargain hs

impossible. The idea that otr NHS, even in Scotland, England or any of

the UK nations, could survive without them is just ludicrous.

Ungrateful and xenophobic. @PPLAUSE And, Drew, one of the weird thing is

when you listen to the debate, somebody said to me in London

recently that they thought that 40% of people living in the United

Kingdom were from the Europdan Union. That is a man in a shop.

Because they are so London centric often. Actually you might think that

in parts of London, but frol a constituency like yours, whhch has

been artificially depopulatdd for the reasons we know, the Highland

clearances, which till had ` visual and social effect in Scotland, you

need people, we all need people in Scotland, to come here, bec`use

people are living longer, greater demands on the National Health

Service, we need people, we need energetic folk who want to become

new Scots to settle not least in constituencies like yours.

Absolutely, and for too long we have seen a drain of the young pdople,

and it is so valuable to have European citizens coming to the

Highlands and islands to work in our communities. I'm inch and ski

villages earlier, we have a wonderful ski village in Albie

Morkel which would not be able to function in its wonderful tourist

proposition without the help of the people that come to help and support

our tourism economy. For thd same reasons, the health service of the

Highlands also needs foreign citizens, EU nationals. We need that

diversity to keep us healthx and to keep us moving forward, and we

really value the people who are our friends and neighbours, who have

chosen to make their lives with us. That is a privilege that we should

embrace, and I'm glad to sax that is the message coming out of this party

and this conference. APPLAUSE And Kirsty... It is good for the

gene pool as well. And Kirsty of course as an Aberdeen MP, you have

seen the benefits that people who come from all across the world have

brought to Aberdeen. And to the oil economy, though sadly we have not

always benefited as much as we should have done over the ddcades.

But you have seen at first hand Absolutely. Aberdeen has always been

very multicultural. Our hotdls and shops, local communities have seen

the benefit of the impact of the money coming in, not so much the

indirect impact, as the tax goes to Westminster before it is allowed to

come back to us. Going forw`rd, the oil and gas stuff is really

important, not just in terms of Brexit and how, when the UK exits

the EU, how that will be protected, but in terms of making sure that our

industry is talked up rather than talked down. We are going through a

dip in terms of the price jtst now, but oil and gas are going to be

around for many years into the future, certainly until at least

2040. We are still going to be a hub for oil and gas, and we need to make

sure people know that and pdople are positive about the oil industry and

that those jobs are kept in our local area. I am going to ldave the

last word of our Westminster discussion to Stuart. We ard on his

homehome turf in Glasgow, and Stuart is a passionate Glasgow nathonalist.

He talks about Glasgow at every turn, as indeed he should as the

member of Parliament for Gl`sgow South. Glasgow needs foreigners

doesn't it? You wander around the centre of Glasgow and there are

areas of Glasgow which have become so depopulated. We need to build

Glasgow up. For Glasgow, totrism is vital. Absolutely, and you know my

interest in Glasgow, but all of the tourism that comes to the UK goes to

London. We want to pull people up. If there is anyone here frol

Edinburgh, you can go now! @s we move forward, we want Glasgow to

move from being the second city of the empire to becoming the first

city of Europe. That is my `mbition as a Glasgow MP, as a major hub for

bright, energetic, enthusiastic people to come to Glasgow from all

over Europe and the world, `nd turn us into that big, dynamic Etropean

city that I know, particularly our council group who will hopefully win

here in May in the local eldctions, I know that is an ambition that they

share as well. Well, I would like to say thank you very much to xou all

for attending our Westminstdr half-hour. It has been a pldasure to

chair it. A big round of applause to my friends and colleagues hdre.

Thank you. Conference, as your business

convener of five years, welcome to the 82nd national conferencd of the

Scottish National Party. And of course, welcome to the wonddrful

city of Glasgow. The first thing I would like to do is for you to give

a warm welcome to your fant`stic candidates for the deputy ldadership

of the party. Please welcomd your candidates.