Nicola Sturgeon told her party they must continue to make the case for independence but said she doesn’t know when a second vote will come.

The First Minister said people want clarity on Brexit first.

But she said in the meantime the SNP must deal with concerns of those not convinced by the arguments for independence.

She said: “But to all of you here in this hall and across our country who are impatient for change, let me say this.

“We may not yet know exactly when the choice will be made.

“But we can, we must, and we will always make the case for independence.”

Ms Sturgeon said the UK was in chaos taking the country “down a path of self-imposed decline”,

She added: “So let us make our case with conviction. Let us address concerns head on.

“And above all, let us inspire confidence in our fellow citizens that the way things are now is not the way they must always be.”

Immediately before the First Minister took to the stage Deputy Leader Angus Robertson, who lost his Moray seat in June, received rousing applause when he said “will be an another independence referendum”.

However he didn’t say when.

Paisley MP Mhairi Black also took applause when she said independence should “not be put on the back-burner.”

She said: “Some people are saying we should put independence on the back burner, why would we ever?

“The idea that because we had one vote on the matter we can never exercise our democratic rights on the matter ever again is utterly ridiculous.”