I was 'slam dunk' for SNP leadership until revealing gay marriage views - Forbes

I was 'slam dunk' for SNP leadership until revealing gay marriage views - ForbesImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Kate Forbes stepped down from the Scottish Parliament at May's election ByDavid Wallace LockhartScotland political correspondentPublished7 hours agoFormer SNP minister Kate Forbes has claimed that she was viewed as a "slam dunk" for the party leadership until she revealed her views on gay marriage. The ex-deputy first minister was narrowly defeated in a 2023 SNP contest by Humza Yousaf, having been criticised for beliefs she attributed to her Christian faith. Speaking at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) conference last week, Forbes said she was advised to lie about her views but insisted that the public admired politicians who took difficult stances on matters of integrity.She told the event at London's Olympia that even though she lost out to Yousaf, she "absolutely won the public support".The former MSP, who stepped down from parliament at last month's election, made a speech at the conference and participated in a question and answer session on "the challenge of leading with integrity". Some in the SNP criticised her for speaking at the conference, which featured right-wing figures including Nigel Farage, Kemi Badenoch and Boris Johnson, as well as supporters of Donald Trump from the United States. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes to stand down as MSPPublished4 August 2025Being a mum is harder than being deputy first minister, says Kate ForbesPublished21 November 2025During the question and answer section, Forbes said her 2023 leadership bid was initially viewed "as a bit of a slum dunk", adding: "I was very much in the lead."However, the former minister lost supporters early in the campaign when she revealed she would have voted against same-sex marriage laws - passed in 2014 before she was an MSP - but would not seek to overturn them. A member of the Fre...