Nicola Sturgeon arrives at the SNP conference on Monday. Photo: Andrew Milligan/PA
Nicola Sturgeon denies being «Liz Truss SNP» after surprise appearance at party conference overshadowed Humza Yousaf, her successor.
Former First Minister responded: «Don't be ridiculous» when asked if her appearance could be compared to Ms SNP's. Truss at the Tory conference earlier this month, which attracted a huge crowd.
Ms Sturgeon denied overshadowing Mr Yousaf and being a «liability» to the SNP following her arrest by police investigating the party's finances. She was released without charge pending further inquiries and denies any wrongdoing.
Mr Yousaf insisted he was «delighted» by her attendance at the Aberdeen conference, despite it threatened to undermine his efforts to divert public attention from the police investigation.
He said she “has every right to be here,” adding: “Nicola is a member. She led the party for so long. She will receive a lot of love, and quite rightly, and adulation. The participants will be very happy to see her. I keep in regular contact and do you think we could be good friends.'
But Ms Sturgeon advised him what he should do to stop the SNP's slump in the polls, saying his government needs to “remember and remind people why we won so many elections in the past.”
In a message to her successor, she said: «It's about being on the side of people who strive for a better life for themselves and their children.»
As with Ms Truss, Ms Sturgeon's appearance at the conference site caused a media scandal and widespread unrest among activists at the event, which was poorly attended.
One woman was seen crying as she hugged Ms Sturgeon, who abruptly resigned as first minister in February. Two months later, Ms Sturgeon's home was searched by police and she was arrested in June.
She was not expected to attend the conference — her first since she resigned — but attended a tribute to her memory in the main conference room.
Ms Sturgeon received rapturous applause from MPs and a video of highlights was shown, including some of her speeches as First Minister.
< p>Asked if she had overshadowed Mr Yousaf, she replied: “Not at all. I watched from afar. For me, this conference is very different from the ones I'm used to.
“You know, I think Humza is doing a fantastic job as leader of the party and as First Minister, and I don't think that From what I have seen, there is any doubt as to who is in charge of this conference.»
She said she had not spoken to Police Scotland again since her arrest, but Mr Yousaf said the investigation was partly responsible for the Scottish National Party's rout in the recent Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-elections.
Asked whether the by-election, which saw Labor swing by 20 points, showed that it was a liability, Ms Sturgeon replied: «I I am no longer the leader of the Scottish National Party. Humza is more than capable of speaking for himself.”
She boasted of her election success as SNP leader and insisted the atmosphere at the conference was «absolutely fantastic» despite far fewer people attending than in recent years.
When asked what went wrong with the party, Ms Sturgeon replied: “I think the Scottish National Party is the best government we have had in 20 years in power.”
“I just arrived. down the steps littered with the achievements of the SNP and I think what the party is doing, what it needs to do is remember and remind people why we have won so many elections over the last almost 20 years.
“It's about being on the side of people who strive for a better life, for themselves and their children. It's about standing up and giving a voice to people who are often marginalized when necessary, standing up to vested interests and always standing up for Scotland, and making a connection between our belief in independence and the issues people prioritize.»
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