THE SNP is under fire over several of the corporate sponsors set to host meetings at its virtual party conference this weekend. 

Thousands of party members will gather online tomorrow to hear speeches by some of Scotland’s most prominent politicians, including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Alongside the party business, a number of high-profile corporate sponsors will host fringe meetings, including Coca-Cola, the Rail Delivery Group and the City of London Corporation. 

Labour MSP Neil Findlay criticised the consistent welcome extended to corporate lobbyists at SNP events, saying they were “no doubt ushered through the door.”

He added: “The SNP conference is no longer a political event for their activists. It’s now a corporate free-for-all for their wealthy backers. 

“We can see very clearly now the link between the need to satisfy their paymasters and the Growth Commission document which would usher in years of austerity and make Scotland a corporate playground.” 

One such company is Heathrow airport, a regular guest at SNP conferences in recent years. 

Scotland’s SNP government also signed a memorandum of understanding with Heathrow airport in 2016, pledging the party’s support for a third runway, and it remains committed to expanding air travel.

The Heathrow fringe meeting will focus on sustainable travel in the aviation industry, proposing solutions such as so-called “low-carbon industries of the future.”

The Scottish Greens hit out at such sponsorship, arguing that the SNP allowing the airport to influence policy undermines the nationalists’ credibility on climate change. 

Co-leader Patrick Harvie said: “Instead of asking the aviation and fossil fuel industries for answers, the SNP needs to wake up to the urgency of the climate emergency and commit to investing in the alternatives.

“Otherwise, they risk going into the COP26 conference [a United Nations event due to be held in Glasgow] next year with egg on their face.”

Climate justice activists and those working in the industry said that those industries do not support ambitions for a just transition in Scotland. 

Finlay Asher, an engineer and activist with campaign group Safe Landing, said that greater regulation of air travel was required to tackle the climate emergency, calling for taxation to help fund the much-needed “green revolution.”

He added: “No amount of electric flight or hydrogen will help decarbonise when you’re flying that amount. 

“You’d hope you have that other side of the debate who is providing the realism around electric flight and aviation.”

The SNP have been contacted for comment.