London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jun 21, 2025

Finance minister Forbes runs to be Scotland's next leader

Finance minister Forbes runs to be Scotland's next leader

Scottish finance minister Kate Forbes on Monday set out her intention to run in a contest to replace Nicola Sturgeon as the country's first minister and said she would have opposed some of the government's policies such as gay marriage.
Forbes, who was elected to the Scottish parliament in 2016 and became finance secretary in 2020, became the third candidate to enter the race to become Scottish National Party (SNP) leader after Sturgeon's surprise resignation last week.

Surgeon's resignation has left a question mark over the SNP's fight for independence as the Westminster government has blocked its attempts to hold a second vote after a 2014 referendum saw Scotland vote 55% to 45% to remain part of the United Kingdom.

But comments by Forbes, who studied history at the Universities of Cambridge and Edinburgh, on same-sex relationships upset some in her own party.

Forbes said she would have voted against same-sex marriage in a Channel 4 interview, adding: "marriage being between a man and a woman, that is what I practise," she said. Same-sex marriage was legalised in Scotland in 2014.

The 32-year-old Christian also said she would not have voted for the government's gender reform bill in its current form, the divisive legislation that made it easier for people to change their legal gender.

Sturgeon herself was embroiled in a row over transgender rights over the divisive bill, which was eventually passed in December but has since been blocked by the British government.

"I don't support self-ID .. I think there is scope to revisit the bill. We need to make it a less onerous process but that is going to require a grown-up debate and discussion with the UK Government," Forbes told Channel 4.

The SNP has said it will choose a new leader within six weeks through a ballot of its members, which will close on March 27.

Making her pitch for the contest, which will pit her against health minister Humza Yousaf and former minister Ash Regan, Forbes said earlier on Twitter: "I can't sit back and watch our nation thwarted on the road to self determination."

"We need a leader who's bold, brave and energised, fresh faced and ready for new challenges. Somebody who inspires your confidence as an SNP member, and who inspires the confidence of the people of Scotland to vote for a better future. I am that leader."

Forbes, a fluent Gaelic speaker who worked as an accountant in the banking industry before entering parliament, said in an interview to the Scotsman newspaper that she would have voted against gay marriage as "a matter of conscience."

Hannah Bardell, a member of Scottish parliament belonging to the SNP, said on Twitter: "I would have hoped that given Kate has so many friends, including myself, who are LGBTQ and hold her and her talents in such high regard, she might have tempered them or at least considered her response a little more carefully."

"I hope in time she might understand why her views are so difficult for so many of us."
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
×