Christian Faith of SNP Leader Candidate is Big News
MSP Kate Forbes, has found that holding traditional biblical views are a big obstacle in her race to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as Leader of the Scottish National Party. Ms Forbes, MSP for the constituency of Skye, Lochaber, and Badenoch is a member of the Free Church of Scotland. Forbes has served as the Scottish Finance Secretary since 2021.
The candidate does not support abortion or same-sex marriage and has said she would not have supported Sturgeon’s gender bill, but has said that she will not try and reverse the laws put in place during Sturgeons tenure in office.
In a radio interview on Good Morning Scotland, Forbes said,
“My position on these matters is I will defend to the hilt everybody’s right in a pluralistic and tolerant society to live and to love free of harassment and fear.
“And in the same way I hope that others can be afforded the rights of people of faith to practice fairly mainstream teaching. And that is the nuance that we need to capture on equal marriage.
“Equal marriages is a legal right, and as a servant of democracy, rather than a dictator, I absolutely respect and defend that democratic right.”
Ms Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, nominated Forbes for the leadership position but withdrew her support after Forbes’ views were magnified by the media. Forbes views are not new. She has always been very clear that as a member of the Free Church of Scotland that she was opposed to certain parts of Sturgeon’s policy commitments.
There are two other candidates in the race for SNP Leader; Ash Regan and Hamza Yousaf. The winner will be announced on 27 March.
