A PRO-INDEPENDENCE conference that was due to take place at the end of February has now been rescheduled due to ongoing pressures from the coronavirus pandemic.

The Progress to Yes Conference organised by the Aberdeen Independence Movement (AIM) was due to be held on Sunday, February 27, 2022.

The event is now due to take place on Sunday, May 29 at the Altens Hotel in Aberdeen and is expected to run from 10am to 5pm.

In an announcement about the rescheduling, AIM said the decision was taken due to the "ongoing Covid situation" which has seen new prevention measures being brought in for Scotland after Christmas.

Alan Petrie, AIM co-organiser, said: "We have been having regular meetings about the conference, but things are moving so quickly that I rewrote the event manual on Sunday and it was out of date by Monday's meeting.

"We considered going all virtual, but felt that the Yes movement really needs an in-person event and that the end of May will be the perfect time to kick off a summer of independence for 2022."

AIM has been contacting speakers for the conference to confirm the new date will work and told The National that it is looking like it will be the same line-up as already announced to kick off a summer of independence campaigning.

Ticket holders and participants will be contacted over the coming weeks with more information about the rescheduled event and refunds are available for anyone who cannot make it.

Early bird tickets for the event sold out within hours of going on sale last month and demand for tickets was high.

The original line-up for the Progress to Yes conference included Michael Russell, Hannah Bardell MP, Aamer Anwar, Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp, Maggie Chapman MSP and Karen Adam MSP, with more yet to be announced.

Details of how to get in touch with AIM can be found on their social media channels.