Gibraltar, business, and Scotland’s assets: Round-up of day two of SNP 2016 Conference and IdeaSpace

14/10/2016
Maxine Blane

A round-up of news and reaction from day two of the SNP 2016 conference and the IdeaSpace policy festival

AS DELEGATES head home to rest up before the final day of the SNP 2016 conference tomorrow, we look back at what happened on day two of both the SNP  conference and the IdeaSpace policy festival organised alongside the conference at the Glasgow Science Centre.

CommonSpace has been covering all the news from the SNP conference and IdeaSpace closely, and Independence Live will be livestreaming as much of the action from the science centre as possible.

 

 

One of the exhibitors in the main hall at the SNP conference, the government of Gibraltar held a private reception on Thursday evening where it emerged that diplomatic officials from both Gibraltar and Scotland pledged to support each other during upcoming Brexit negotiations.

 

 

The SNP conference also played host to a delegation from Catalonia, who avowed continued solidarity with the independence movement in Scotland.

 

 

CommonSpace spoke to Calum Steele of the Scottish Police Federation, who called for greater funding in the face of austerity shortfalls at a morning fringe meeting at the SNP conference.

 

 

Newly elected SNP depute leader Angus Robertson made his first speech since winning the position, and spoke out to call for a guarantee on the status of EU nationals from Westminster.

 

 

Business issues were on the agenda today at the SNP conference, with cabinet secretary for economy, jobs and fair work Keith Brown confirming a post-Brexit shift in the attitudes of businesses towards independence in Scotland, and the Confederation of British Industry revealing it would be open to supporting more devolved powers to the Scottish Parliament.

 

 

Economic interests were also raised across the river at the IdeaSpace policy festival, where Dr Craig Dalzell lead a fringe discussion of CommonWeal’s White Paper Project that focused on Scotland’s assets.

 

 

Organised alongside the SNP conference after many grassroots organisations were unable to afford the fees for exhibiting, the IdeaSpace festival was the destination of the day, with fringe meetings packed with SNP delegates.

 

 

Dr Philippa Whitford MP spoke at an SNP fringe meeting about the importance of training for medical staff in Palastine, and called for targeted Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) of Israeli goods.

 

 

Our reporters will be out and about, both at the SNP conference and on the other side of the river tomorrow, so do say hello if you spot us!

Picture courtesy of CommonSpace

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