The coming period will be the “greatest challenge” the independence movement has ever faced, Stephen Flynn has said.

Mr Flynn was the first speaker at the party’s conference in Aberdeen, where he stressed that “constitutional change is coming”.

He said: “Look at where we stand now – three nations of the UK whose leaders are committed to constitutional change, a British Prime Minister telling us we can have our independence when the people of Scotland want it.

“All of us should feel pride in how far our movement has come.”

He added: “We are winning the argument, we can see that by reading the newspapers or listening to the panic of unionist politicians.”

But Mr Flynn, the party’s former leader in Westminster, said there is “no shortcut” to achieve independence.

“One by one, we must persuade our families, our friends, our neighbours, of our cause – one by one, step by step.

“It takes effort, it takes patient persuasion, it takes hard graft, but we can see that it is working and it is precisely because it is working that the period ahead will be the greatest challenge our movement has ever faced.

“With the weight of Scottish public opinion moving to our cause, we will se that final lap through together – for Scotland.”