STEPHEN DAISLEY’S CONFERENCE SKETCH: For the SNP, ‘it can only get worse’ is less a play on words than a prediction

For the SNP, the statement “It can only get worse” is less a play on words than a prediction.

Keith Brown, in his introduction to John Swinney's great speech, noted that there was an “undeniable optimism” at the SNP's post-election conference. I would say that optimism was indeed hard to deny.

If there was any optimism at the Edinburgh International Conference,

It must have been thrown out in the middle earlier to charge the parking meter.

It wasn't long before the Nationalists' deputy leader was replaced by the “man of the moment.” Given the frequency with which leadership changes seem to occur these days, perhaps “man of the moment” would be more appropriate.

He began by saying he wanted to pay tribute to his predecessor as First Minister. “I haven't heard much from her in a long time,” I thought to myself, as Swinney reminded me and, I imagine, much of the country that, implausible as it sounds, Humza Yousaf was First Minister there for a while.

Yousaf, he said, had “served our country with distinction.” Yes, his tenure was definitely notable. The first five minutes or so of Swinney's speech focused on the war in Gaza and the best way to end hostilities: Israelis and Palestinians must live side by side in peace. It's hard to believe that this conflict has been raging for generations and they never thought to try this.

Swinney pushed for the creation of a Palestinian state, the first viable independence proposal we have heard at an SNP conference in years.

There was a modicum of reflection on the results of the British general election. He described the 4th of July as a “tough night”. That's true. I almost hurt myself laughing.

He then made some comments about the unrest in the south. “This party will never denigrate people who do us the honour of choosing to make this their home,” he declared. If there is one thing everyone knows about the SNP, it is their tradition of welcoming people moving to Scotland.

Much of the speech consisted of bitter criticism of Labour, after the SNP had effortlessly switched from beating the fists of a blue straw man to beating the red one.

While British Health Minister Wes Streeting had signalled a willingness to reform the health care system, Swinney announced: “The SNP will keep the health care system in public hands. Our NHS will never be up for grabs.” The Scottish NHS is only threatened by privatisation during election campaigns and independence referendums.

Swinney explained his theme, quipping: “Labour should be ashamed of ever showing either of its faces in Scotland again.” Labour need not worry about that. After the general election, the party will have 37 faces to show in Scotland.

Finally, turning to matters closer to home, he told delegates: “I want my ministers out there making investments, investments, investments in the future of Scotland.” As long as they don't meet anyone from Israel, Israel, Israel.

Of course, the subject of independence was not far from his lips, and he spoke of his vision for the future. The sentence began with “an independent Scotland, working in harmony with our closest friends in the rest of the United Kingdom,” but before he even got to the first comma, he was denouncing “broken Brexit Britain” and suggesting that harmony may not last.

The SNP, in turn, would push forward its priorities of 'people, prosperity, public services and planet'. Anything that doesn't start with a P would have to take a seat and wait for the next alliteration train to come along.

And just as he seemed to have finished mocking his opponents, he mused that the former Labour prime minister had heard the tune of “Things can only get better” when he entered Downing Street, but that the new prime minister's message to the country was “Things can only get worse.”

The time has finally come: the point at which the SNP must cheer on Tony Blair in order to be able to run against the current Labour Prime Minister.

That's a different story from calling him a war criminal. But it was a brave statement nonetheless. As things stand for the SNP, “it can only get worse” is less a play on words than a prediction.