The SNP's 10,000th member shares a laugh with Alex Salmond

The Nationalists' newest recruit is Bushra Bashir, a 21-year-old student from Glasgow.

Meanwhile, delegates have backed a call for Scottish history to be taught in all primary and secondary schools.

And returning party leader Alex Salmond kick-started a drive to win seats in the next general election.

Membership had dipped badly before the leadership contest.

SNP deputy leader Nicola Sturgeon told activists on Wednesday that recent months had seen a surge from just over 8,000 at the start of the leadership battle that followed John Swinney's resignation after the party's poor showing in the European elections.

I think the SNP can hold what we have got and make progress Alex Salmond SNP leader

The Westminster election campaign is being launched in readiness for an election battle that could take place as early as next May, barely 200 days away.

Mr Salmond told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme that the elections remained important to a devolved Scotland and predicted success for the party.

He said: "There are all sorts of issues for Scotland.

"At Westminster, what is important is that Scotland has representatives they can trust who will fight for Scottish interests as opposed to betraying them as the Labour Party did on tuition fees, foundation hospitals and most recently on strip stamps on whisky bottles."

He pointed out reserved issues such as defence were important in "peace and war".

And he said devolved issues such as health services were affected by Westminster decisions, such as the European Working Directive which was negotiated eight years ago and is still negotiated by Westminster.

History lessons

Mr Salmond also raised the expected constituency boundary review as a factor in the general election, claiming it could benefit the party.

He added: "I think the SNP can hold what we have got and make progress. If we do make progress then we will be ideally poised to win the 2007 elections."

The call for Scottish history to be taught in schools went through despite misgivings from some activists - including a professional historian who warned against "ghettoising" the subject.

The motion was led by Wendy Stuart from Bridge of Don, near Aberdeen, who told the conference that in her own schooldays she had to learn from her father - and she in turn had to teach it to her own three children.

"Even today, teaching of Scottish history is at the whim of a teacher," she told the conference.

"If she wants to do it, she can. If she doesn't, she doesn't have to.