After just 398 days in office, Humza Yousaf has announced his resignation as Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP) leader. In his resignation speech, Yousaf said 'I have concluded that repairing the relationship across the political divide can only be done with someone else at the helm.' He has called for a leadership contest to find his replacement as soon as possible, and will remain first minister until then.
In the wake of Yousaf's resignation, the SNP will launch a leadership contest and the party has 28 days to choose a new first minister by a simple majority. Naturally, this means all eyes are on who could be Yousaf's replacement.
One particular candidate making waves is Kate Forbes, former finance secretary who has been described as having a 'meteoric rise through the ranks of government’ since her political debut in 2016. Forbes narrowly lost out to Yousaf in last year's SNP leadership contest by 48% to 52%. This time around, she has been dubbed one of the most likely contenders for the top job. However, she would face resistance from the Scottish Greens, who have previously ruled out working with her.
Forbes first run at leadership was embroiled in a world of controversy due to her stance on certain societal issues, particularly her opposition to gender reform. Last year, key backers announced they could not support her bid for SNP leadership because of comments she made about gay marriage. At the time, she told The Scotsman that she would have voted against equal marriage as a 'matter of conscience' if she had been a member of parliament when the vote took place, in 2014. As a result of her comments, Scottish government ministers Richard Lochhead, Tom Arthur and Clare Haughey withdrew their support for her, as did health committee convener Gillian Martin and MP Drew Hendry.
Who is Kate Forbes?
Born in Dingwall, northern Scotland, Forbes is 34 years old. She was educated between Scotland and India throughout her childhood - as her father worked providing healthcare in India for those who can't afford it - only returning to Scotland for good at the age of 15 where she attended Dingwall Academy.
She studied history at the University of Cambridge, before going on to achieve a masters degree in Diaspora and Migration History from the University of Edinburgh. Kate Forbes married husband Alasdair MacLennan in 2021, they have one child together.
Who are Kate Forbes' parents?
Kate Forbes' parents are said to be missionaries, but by her own admission they disagree with that characterisation.
'I had a very strange upbringing that’s quite difficult to categorise,' she told Premier Christianity. 'My parents always disagreed with the characterisation of them as missionaries. Growing up, reading stories of Hudson Taylor and Elisabeth Elliot, my sense of missionaries were of brave, courageous souls that ended up being martyred for their faith. We were a fairly ordinary family that found ourselves in India. My dad was involved with Bible teaching and he’s also an accountant, so he was managing the finances of a group of mission hospitals, trying to ensure that people were able to access free healthcare. We felt quite removed from the great missionary journeys of David Livingstone but that meant, of course, our upbringing was between countries, cultures and backgrounds.'
What is Kate Forbes' religion?
A devout christian and member of the Free Church of Scotland, Kate Forbes has spoken openly about her religious beliefs superseding any political ones.
'To be straight, I believe in the person of Jesus Christ,' she told Nick Robinson for BBC. 'I believe that he died for me, he saved me and that my calling is to serve and to love him and to serve and love my neighbours with all my heart and soul and mind and strength. So that, for me, is essential to my being. Politics will pass. I was a person before I was a politician and that person will continue to believe that I am made in the image of God.'
What are Kate Forbes' views about equal marriage?
However, her religious views have caused controversy online. Last year, she told The Scotsman that she would not have voted in favour of equal marriage. 'I would have voted, as a matter of conscience, along the lines of mainstream teaching in most major religions that marriage is between a man and a woman,' she said. 'But I would have respected and defended the democratic choice that was made. It is legal right now and I am a servant of democracy, I am not a dictator.'
She went on to confirm to Channel 4 News that she would not row back on rights that already exist in Scotland and after public backlash, apologised for any 'hurt or offence' her comments may have caused.
What did Kate Forbes say about having children outside of marriage?
Questioned further on her religious views, Forbes told Sky News that her faith preaches sex is for marriage only and thus having children outside of marriage is 'wrong'.
'It's entirely up to them. It's something that I would seek to avoid for me personally,' she said. 'But it doesn't fuss me, it doesn't put me up nor down. The choices that other people make is [up to them]. In terms of my faith, my faith would say that sex is for marriage and that's the approach that I would practice. For me, it would be wrong according to my faith, but for you I have no idea what your faith is. So, in a free society you can do what you want.'
What are Kate Forbes' views on trans rights?
Kate Forbes was one of 15 SNP politicians who publicly called on her party to delay proposals to the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill - which would make it easier for trans people to self-identify as their chosen gender. Forbes wasn't able to participate in the final vote on the bill before the new year, as she was on maternity leave, but has been clear on her opposition since 2019. Most recently, she said she would most likely have voted against it, had she been able to vote.
'It's very difficult to talk hypothetically when it comes to a bill but I think I would have struggled to support that self-ID element of the Gender Recognition Act,' she said. The bill was subsequently blocked by the UK government.
What was the Kate Forbes/BBC controversy?
When Sturgeon first resigned, people began speculating about who might run for leadership. At the time, Forbes was on maternity leave (since July 2022), and thus in one article about her potential candidacy, the BBC wrote 'but there are questions whether she would want the job too, given she's currently on maternity leave following the birth of her first child'.
The comment was met with backlash. Grazia’s partner campaign Pregnant Then Screwed were first to pick up on the subtle sexist connotations of the suggestion, writing on Twitter, ‘Dear @BBCNews you do know that women can be on maternity leave and also remain ambitious, right? Exactly who is questioning whether @_KateForbes will want the job ‘given she’s on maternity leave’?
Another woman, Dr Lauren Carters-White, said, ‘Oh yes @BBCNews. I forgot when on maternity leave I lost all my drive to progress my career haha silly me must be the hormones.’
The BBC then changed the precise wording.