KATE Forbes has claimed she was seen as the “slam dunk” candidate to lead the SNP until she publicly set out her conservative Christian views on equal marriage.
The former deputy first minister, who narrowly lost the 2023 SNP leadership contest to Humza Yousaf, told an audience at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) conference in London that she had been strongly advised to conceal her beliefs by her campaign team – but insisted that voters respect politicians who are honest about matters of conscience.
During a question and answer session at the Olympia venue hosted by former Australian deputy prime minister John Anderson, Forbes said her bid to succeed Nicola Sturgeon was initially regarded “as a bit of a slam dunk”, adding: “I was very much in the lead.”
However, support fell away early in the campaign when she confirmed she would have voted against the 2014 legislation that legalised same-sex marriage in Scotland, though she stressed she would not seek to overturn the law.
A member of the Free Church of Scotland, she also said having children outside of marriage was “wrong”, and came under fire for her views on abortion and trans rights.
Asked if it had been difficult to stick to her beliefs under pressure, she told the event: “All these wonderfully committed team members, who wanted me to win, had great advice – just lie and you’ll be fine.
“I ended the first 24 hours just so thankful that, in the face of the questions, I hadn’t crumbled.
“The end result felt like a victory because during that period I thought I had not given in when I could have.”
Discussing the 2023 contest, Anderson told the audience Forbes had been treated “grossly unfairly” because of her Christianity.
He further claimed it had gone “in favour of somebody who was probably every bit as committed to those views, and even more hardline, but happened to be of a different faith”.
Anderson added: "Let’s be honest, he was a Muslim."
The remark went unchallenged by Forbes.
Forbes, who stepped down as an MSP at last month’s election after serving as finance secretary and later deputy first minister, argued that she ultimately gained respect beyond the party for being open about how her faith shapes her views.
Speaking about reactions from the public, she said: “When you’re getting into taxis and people are saying ‘you’re the only honest one amongst [the politicians]’ that feels good.”
In her speech to the ARC conference, she told delegates she had received “thousands on thousands” of messages from people who disagreed with her but backed her right to express her conscience.
She said: “I answered questions honestly about my faith, and the way it shaped my view of sex and gender, of marriage and family. The backlash was instant and fervent.”
Forbes went on to complain that discussion of her leadership bid had largely ignored her record in government and at the ballot box.
“My experience of managing the nation’s budget as finance secretary, or having the largest electoral majority of any parliamentarian, was less important apparently than – shocker of shockers – having a conscience,” she said.
Her appearance at ARC has drawn criticism within the SNP, given the line-up included Nigel Farage, Kemi Badenoch, Boris Johnson and US supporters of Donald Trump.
