The beginning of autumn marks UK party conference season, and the political headlines from the Tory gathering have been dominated by images of the Prime Minister’s dodgy dance moves.

It was desperate stuff from the PM who’s kidding on if they think it’ll distract from the devastating impact Tory policies are having on our communities.

The arrogance and hypocrisy of the Tories towards Scotland was clear from the start of their party conference, when Ruth Davidson vowed they would block a second independence referendum being held until at least 2027. The Tories haven’t won a democratic mandate from the people of Scotland for more than 60 years, so attempts to ignore the clear mandate the SNP has from Scottish voters to hold a referendum beggars belief.

Their hypocrisy was taken to new levels though when, after vowing to block the democratic right of the people of Scotland, the new Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt claimed the EU was acting like the Soviet Union by trying to “imprison” member states. It was a diplomatic gaffe worthy of his predecessor – and only served to underline the duplicity of the Tories as they seek to silence Scotland’s voice.

Meanwhile, Scottish Labour stayed true to form in their efforts to out Tory the Tories by pledging to block a second independence referendum in their next election manifesto. It seems Labour have learned nothing from the mistakes of 2014 when they alienated many of their traditional supporters.

Scotland is a distinct, historic nation - free and able to direct its destiny. And for as long as Scottish Labour fails to understand that, it’s clear they will continue to suffer at the ballot box.

While the SNP gets on with the job of delivering progressive policies, and standing up to the Tories at Westminster, the Labour party seems intent on demonstrating they aren’t even fit for opposition, let alone government.

The SNP continues to go from strength to strength. Our party membership now stands at more than 125,000 – making it the second largest political party in the UK. As I write this column we’re busy preparing for the SNP conference which takes place over three days at the SECC in Glasgow. I’m looking forward to catching up with friends old and new from Clydebank and across West Dunbartonshire as we continue working hard to build a fairer Scotland.