STEPHEN Flynn has said the SNP’s internal election review at the party’s conference was "very positive".
Day one of the annual event kicked off in Edinburgh on Friday with a post-mortem of the election result hosted by leader John Swinney.
The SNP’s Westminster leader addressed the media following the discussion and said a range of topics were discussed.
Flynn said: “It allowed the membership to engage directly with the party leadership about the challenges that we’ve faced.
“That’s something that’s difficult for any political party to do. John has taken the very serious and right decision to do that with the members at the earliest possible opportunity.
“We went through a whole host of different topics, much of them reflecting upon the fact that the trust we had with the Scottish people was eroded.
“And that’s why of course we lost the election. Now what we have to do is to acknowledge the fact we’ve had that discussion, refocus our priorities and make sure we’re fighting fit for the Scottish Parliament election in 2026.”
Asked specifically what he felt the SNP got wrong, Flynn commented that the party were “having an argument with the UK Government about a bottle bank” amid the cost of living crisis.
His comments were in reference to the Deposit Return Scheme, which has now been delayed until at least October 2025.
“That breeds frustration,” Flynn said.
“Ultimately, many of the things that can overcome the cost of living crisis stem from powers which in Westminster but what they (the people of Scotland) need to know is that the politicians who represent them in Holyrood are acting upon their best interests when it comes to the cost of living crisis,” he added.
Scottish independence
Asked if members had expressed any frustrations on the path towards Scottish independence, Flynn (below) replied: “I think all members of the SNP believe that Scotland should be an independent country.
“We all have the same frustration that we’re stuck in a log jam with the UK Government, a Labour UK Government won’t acknowledge the fact that 50% of the Scottish populous want something to happen.
“What we need to do as a party is reflect upon how we get to that point and for my part I don’t think the equation has ever changed.
“If you deliver good government, if you deliver in a manner which garners trust amongst the Scottish people, then you can move onto that much wider and bigger question about whether people will then put trust in you as an independent nation.”
Looking to 2026
The SNP Westminster leader was finally asked if he felt party members would be confident looking forward to the Holyrood election in 2026.
“I do,” he replied.
“Because I think it’s rare for a political party to have such an open and frank discussion internally amongst itself about what went wrong.
“What that does is that builds trust that you’re serious about getting things right and we need to be in the business of serious politics right now.”
