Kate Forbes, the former deputy first minister of Scotland, has stated she was advised to misrepresent her views on same-sex marriage to secure the leadership of the Scottish National Party (SNP). Forbes indicated that her stance on the issue became a significant obstacle during the 2023 leadership contest.
Forbes asserted that she supports equal marriage, a position she held at the time of the vote on Scotland's equal marriage legislation and continues to hold. She defended her decision to miss the final vote on the legislation, stating it was due to an "unavoidable" engagement concerning a death row prisoner in Pakistan, not a contrived meeting as alleged.
During the 2023 contest, Humza Yousaf ultimately won the leadership. Current First Minister John Swinney, when asked about attending similar events to the one Forbes mentioned, stated he would not associate with Reform. Forbes also commented on the nature of political promises, suggesting that politicians have “pretended to be able to deliver utopia for too long.” She noted that referendums have often left significant portions of the population feeling “scunnered and angry” or disappointed.
Forbes experienced a rapid ascent within the SNP, being first elected in 2016 and later serving as Scotland's finance secretary starting in 2020. After losing the leadership bid to Yousaf in 2023, she returned to the backbenches. She later considered another leadership run the following year but ultimately backed Swinney and was appointed his deputy. However, Forbes did not seek re-election in May's Holyrood elections, citing family commitments. The SNP has declined to comment on Forbes' claims, but pointed to Swinney's participation in recent pride marches.