Furore over Kate Forbes shows why she is such a big loss to Scottish politics - Jenny Lindsay

How could she? The outrage! Etcetera. Fairer critics conceded she mightn’t share the views of every attendee. But, had she no care for the optics? Imagine even being in the same room with such a coterie of wrong uns?

Forbes narrowly missed out on becoming First Minister in 2023, following the resignation of Nicola Sturgeon. Addressing the packed crowd at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenry (ARC) gathering last week, she said she’d been a “slum dunk” for the role until expressing her personal opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage.

While she missed out on the chance to lead her party, Forbes added, she “absolutely won the public support.” For refusing to compromise on her deeply-held convictions – she’s a member of the Free Church of Scotland – she claimed she received “thousands” of communications supporting her right to freedom of conscience.

While - thankfully - there’s majority public support for equal marriage and abortion rights in Scotland, that’s matched by a widespread allergy to hypocrites and liars.

The problem for the SNP and other self-identifying ‘progressives’ generally is that, while they obsess over appearing to be ‘the good guys’ - often by lambasting and misrepresenting opponents - it’s Forbes’ refusal to lie or betray her convictions that is widely viewed as rather more admirable.

Within 24-hours of launching her 2023 leadership bid, Forbes faced tough questions, giving entirely reasonable responses to journalists. Not that you’d know that from the performative anguish from some.

She made a clear distinction between being “a servant of democracy” - defending everyone’s legal rights - and her strong belief liberalism requires tolerance of her religious views. These were a private matter for her and her God.

She’d “defend to the hilt” the right of others to practice their faith - or lack of such - likewise, she said. This perfectly ordinary stance used to be known as respecting the foundational core of a pluralistic, liberal society.

Playing both ball and woman seems to be the new way of things for far too many in Scottish politics. Despite her strong reputation for competence and diligence, it was her private religious views that were judged to matter most by SNP colleagues.

If there were any risk to abortion rights or equal marriage - were Forbes fronting a campaign for such – then, yes, outcry might be proportionate. But she was very clear both in 2023 and last week, that she has no appetite or wish to scrap either.

Forbes’ critics this past week have weaponized that mouldy old chestnut, guilt-by-association. Also giving speeches at ARC were Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, ‘Britain’s strictest headteacher’, Katharine Birbalsingh, and founder of the Brexit Vote Leave campaign, Lord Hannan of Kingsclere.

Were it not for her Scottish nationalism, it’s very possible Forbes might be more at home in a right-leaning party. While her religious convictions aren’t widely shared, her belief in upholding tradition, centring the family as key to social stability, are views shared by any bog-standard Tory.

While more centrist voices were in the mix – such as Australian women’s rights campaigner, Sall Grover - ARC is a definitively right-leaning gathering. But, many of the themes and topics underpinning the conference didn’t used to be viewed as necessarily of the right at all.

Democratic discourse, freedom of speech, social responsibility, a rejection of “the inevitability of decline” in Western values: if those who view themselves as ‘progressive’ find themselves aghast the right have gained a monopoly on such things, it’s about time they reflected on their abject failure to defend any of them for at least a decade or more.

Such people can view all of the above as ‘dog-whistles’ for more nefarious purposes if they want to. Or, try to understand what a massive act of self-harm it is to hand such things to the populist hard right. Yes, they were in attendance at ARC too. No, that does not make everyone in the hall one of them.

For those who view ‘political hygiene’ - as some leftists worryingly put it - as of utmost importance, if you mingle with anyone of the right it makes you an automatic pariah. This type of thinking has shifted in my lifetime. It’s no longer solely genuinely far right fascists put on the list of personas non grata: perfectly liberal Conservatives, gender-critical feminists of whatever hue, anyone who voted for Brexit - all must be decried.

It’s a degrading way to treat one’s fellow human beings, given we need to bob along together without anyone losing their heads. As it’s routinely accompanied by social-shaming, character assassination, and shunning – believe me, the most isolating, misery-making experiences to be put through – I’m never surprised when those treated that way say they’ve abandoned the ‘progressive’ left.

First Minister John Swinney, asked about Forbes’ appearance at ARC, said he’d never have attended, as he refuses to have “anything to do” with Reform UK.

But Forbes wasn’t necessarily “doing” anything other than being in the same room as some of them. Unless you apply guilt-by-association, which is argumentatively inept, so what?

We’re in tricky times. There’s no denying defending liberal democratic principles is making for some uncomfortable political bedfellows.

But they’re values worth fighting for. Vital. Kate Forbes’ firm convictions – to uphold everyone’s right to freedom of belief, with genuine tolerance for others – make her a serious loss to Scottish politics, just when we most need people like her.