SNP faithful gather at conference

By Gilly Mathieson
BBC Scotland's Politics Show

The SNP is halfway through its first term

As the SNP launch into their party conference, will they be able to deliver their manifesto challenges?

In Holyrood The SNP, is now half way through its first term but it is facing some tough choices amid budget cuts.

Leading a minority administration, it is also proving a challenge for the SNP to deliver their manifesto pledges.

Now they have got to face some very difficult choices over things like the building of the new Forth Road bridge.

Labour and the SNP

The SNP celebrates its 75th anniversary this year in good heart and mind. The party now finds itself two and a half successful years into office, having won the 2007 Scottish Parliament elections.

The Nationalists have set a target to win 20 Westminster seats, up from their current tally of seven.

It is level pegging with the Labour party, sometimes labour is ahead, sometimes SNP is ahead Professor Michael Keating

The only problem is that, when the fight is on for whether Labour or Tory will lead in Westminster, smaller parties may suffer.

Professor Michael Keating from Aberdeen University and author of the book "The Independence of Scotland" has said:

"It is level pegging with the Labour party, sometimes labour is ahead, sometimes SNP is ahead. Converting that into seats is going to be extremely difficult for the SNP"

"They face huge Labour majorities particularly in the west of Scotland so they may pick up a few seats - but their ambition of 20 or more seats is overdone."

Despite those predictions, the SNP is hoping it can repeat its success in the European polls earlier this year when they beat Labour into second place.

The recession

The SNP says it has shown in government that it has what it takes to help Scotland through the recession but as the SNP's budget plans for the year ahead are being scrutinised at Holyrood, MSPs have been told tough decisions have to be made.

Without a clear majority at Holyrood it seems unlikely that there will be enough support for an independence referendum in 2010.

But it could still all be to play for if, as the polls currently predict, the Conservatives win the 2010 UK election, and we will know that within the next six months.

You can e-mail your comments on the e-mail form below ...