First Minister Humza Yousaf is expected to use his address to SNP conference on Tuesday to reaffirm his support for the Eden Project in Dundee.
The regeneration of the former gasworks on East Dock Street is seen as key to the city’s future success, boosting the local economy by an estimated £20 million a year.
The Courier understands Mr Yousaf will use his first major speech to his party’s conference as leader to say he is “delighted” to continue support for plan.
Mr Yousaf – who lives in the city – is expected to say: “In Dundee, a city close to my heart, the SNP will support the superb regeneration of the city’s disused gasworks into a new Eden Project.
“A beacon for regeneration and green tourism.”
Members of the SNP have been meeting in Aberdeen for the first conference since former first minister Nicola Sturgeon resigned as leader.
Mr Yousaf, who secured support from the party faithful for his independence strategy, will also use his speech say he will put the economy front and centre of a campaign for independence.
The party will now treat winning a majority of seats at the General Election as a mandate to negotiate withdrawal from the UK.
Mr Yousaf is expected to say: “Around of half of our fellow Scots already support independence. I have no doubt that we can turn that half into a sustained majority.
“We will do so when we concentrate not on the how – but on the why.
“At the next election, page one line one of our manifesto will say ‘vote SNP for Scotland to become an independent country’.”
He is also to announce that in each of the next three years, the Scottish Government will provide an extra £100 million to improve NHS inpatient and day-case waiting lists.
Mr Yousaf will add: “Post-pandemic, we are working hard to reduce NHS waiting times – and we have seen a significant reduction in the longest waits since targets were announced last July.
“I am announcing today that in each of the next three years we will invest an extra £100 million to cut waiting lists.
“This additional funding will enable us to maximise capacity, build greater resilience in the system and deliver year-on-year reductions in the number of patients who have waited too long for treatment.
“That will reduce waiting lists by an estimated 100,000 patients by 2026.”
The SNP autumn conference continues until Tuesday at the P&J Live arena in Aberdeen.
Read more about what’s happening at conference on our politics pages here.
Listen to our SNP conference preview interview with SNP MP Pete Wishart on our politics podcast, The Stooshie, here.
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