SNP conference: Why members are upbeat despite election loss

Instead, there was an air of defiance among both the party's hierarchy and its grassroots. That could, perhaps counter intuitively, have been helped by the decision to allow members to have their say on what went wrong on July 4.

Delegates The Herald spoke to felt reassured and empowered that they were given a platform to give their views - not something that has tended to happen in the SNP in recent years.

"It was good to have that conversation," said one member.

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"There are many reasons behind what went wrong," said another. "We have a lot of hard work to do, but we can certainly beat Labour in 2026."

Dr Phillipa Whitford, who stood down from Westminster ahead of the general election, was among the party's former parliamentarians who were at the conference yesterday.

The breast surgeon was, like her fellow party members, disappointed by the result.

But like grassroots activists, she too was defiant telling us with the right message on independence and a good campaign the party can win power again in two years time - for a record fifth term.

There is the important caveat, that should be noted, that perhaps those less upbeat party members opted not to go to the 90th annual conference today. Worse, they may have given up their party membership.

But is the optimism of the members who attended realistic? Or is their loyalty to the party preventing them from seeing what many observers predict is a gloomy road ahead over the coming years?

Certainly polling suggests another SNP victory in 2026 could well be possible.

A survey commissioned by The Sunday Times last weekend put the SNP narrowly winning the most seats at Holyrood, with 41 to Labour’s 40. Such a result would be quite an achievement given the long list of troubles the party has been experiencing since spring last year, from the ongoing police investigation into its finances, the government's questionable record on delivery of public services, and bouts of internal party discontent.

Analysis of the Norstat polling did though suggest that while the SNP may be the biggest party in Holyrood after the May 2026 vote, it may not be able to form a government with Labour's Anas Sarwar most likely to become First Minister, ousting John Swinney from Bute House.

What happens in the Scottish Parliament, and at Westminster, and what happens too in the on going police investigation, will be critical.

The message from the SNP leadership at the first day of its conference was that Labour had backtracked on its manifesto promise of change and was instead delivering "George Osborne type austerity."

Expect that point to be constantly repeatedly by SNP politicians between now and May 2026.

Whether it is believed by voters will depend on what policies are put forward by the new Labour government and whether Scots believe these measures are making their lives better.

And of course how successful the SNP will be in 2026 will also depend on how the SNP govern at Holyrood.

There is a school of thought that while some voters backed Labour last month to remove the Conservatives from power, others, among them former SNP supporters, did so 'give the SNP a kicking'.

Fed up with long NHS waiting lists, teacher cuts and delays over the building of two new ferries, many Scots turned to Labour to punish the SNP for what they regarded as poor performance in government.

The SNP's refrain that cuts to services and below par public services were Westminster's fault, didn't cut the mustard last month. It's unlikely it will do so in two years.

Mr Swinney faces a massive task in the years ahead, but his decision to let activists vent their opinions at the opening session of the SNP's conference on what went wrong on July 4 was a wise one which gave loyal members a much needed lift.