Scottish National Party members in Moray welcomed Scotland’s Deputy First Minister as their guest speaker at the close of a year where membership has quadrupled.
John Swinney MSP spoke to almost 100 members at the party’s Annual General Meeting in the Elgin Town Hall on Sunday, looking back on what he described as an “incredible” membership surge in the weeks and months since September’s ‘No’ vote in the Independence Referendum.
The growth in Moray has been matched throughout Scotland where the SNP, with around 100,000 members in total, is now the largest party and third largest in the UK.
Mr Swinney spoke about the ongoing Westminster Election Campaign and the SNP’s message to voters. He also commended the hard work of local Moray MP Angus Robertson, who is again standing for election to Westminster.
Speaking after the meeting that had earlier elected Councillor Pearl Paul as Honorary President and returned Keith councillor Gary Coull as the convener, Angus Robertson MP said: “The SNP is now the third largest party in the UK, and the only major party not controlled at Westminster.
“We can force Westminster to listen to the people of Scotland. Left to their own devices, both the Tories and Labour plan another round of austerity cuts. And neither can be trusted to deliver the powers Scotland was promised.
“With strong Scottish voices at Westminster we will hold the government of the day to account on more powers. The real powers of home rule to create jobs and protect services.”
Also contesting May’s General Election is Conservative candidate Douglas Ross, the Green Party candidate James Mackessack-Leitch and Scottish Labour candidate Sean Morton.