Swinney says he will consider Yousaf's proposal for an external trigger on a new independence vote

At the start of the SNP's annual conference in Aberdeen, First Minister John Swinney said he is contemplating Humza Yousaf's suggestion to let a neutral third party determine the trigger point for a new Scottish independence referendum. Swinney described the proposal as an interesting way to move the debate from procedural details to the core issue of independence. Yousaf, in promoting his new book, floated options such as involving the United Nations or another mutually trusted state.

The idea has sparked division within the party, with former MP Stewart McDonald warning against outsourcing a domestic political decision. The gathering also marks the first conference since former chief executive Peter Murrell, Nicola Sturgeon's estranged husband, was jailed for embezzling over £400,000 from the SNP, a scandal Swinney says the party is working to heal.