KATE Forbes has said that her proposals are “not at all” a shift away from the SNP’s “progressive agenda”.
This comes after one of the Finance Secretary’s rivals in the race to become first minister, Humza Yousaf, said on Tuesday that he believed in a “wellbeing economy” as he encouraged candidates to support the policies that have taken the party’s support to “dizzying heights”.
“I think it would be foolish to abandon that”, he said.
When asked about Yousaf’s comments, Forbes said that she agreed with the Scottish Health Secretary and added that her proposals were “not at all” a shift away from the ideals he spoke about.
She told the PA news agency: “I think it is very progressive to believe in the inherent dignity and humanity of every human being in Scotland and to ensure that when they need care, and when they need medical assistance, they can access that free at the point of need.
“If we’re serious about eradicating poverty, which I am, if we’re serious about reinvesting in our public services, which I am, then we need a growing and prosperous economy.
“You cannot eradicate poverty and reinvest in our public services at the level that we need to if we don’t have a growing and prosperous economy.
“This is about profits with purpose. It’s about growing an economy with a view to reducing poverty in Scotland and reinvesting in our public services.”
Forbes spoke to journalists as she visited the Highland Home Carers in Inverness on Wednesday.
She also said that the National Care Service should be decentralised and pledged to raise pay for carers to £15 an hour.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday morning, Yousaf said that he is committed to backing a rise in council tax on second homes should he win the SNP leadership race.
A hustings event is set to take place in Cumbernauld this evening which will be live-streamed on the SNP’s social media channels following a row over media access.
