Kate Forbes to stand down at next year's Scottish Parliament election over strain on family life
Kate Forbes will not seek re-election next year - pointing to the strain her job has on family life.
A former SNP MP has warned the party faces a “disaster” after Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes announced she was standing down as an MSP at next year’s Holyrood election in a shock move.
The warning from Joanna Cherry came after Ms Forbes, the MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, announced her decision was so she could spend more time with her family instead of at Parliament. She becomes the latest in a string of high-profile SNP MSPs to confirm they will not seek re-election next May.
John Swinney’s second-in-command, who also holds the economy and Gaelic briefs in the Scottish Government, has said she does “not wish to seek re-election and miss any more of the precious early years of family life”.
But the resignation comes amid accusations from former party grandee Fergus Ewing that the SNP has “changed from being a broad church movement to a narrow cult or sect”.
Ms Forbes’s controversial views on equality have not chimed with the SNP leadership and been seen as a potential barrier to her becoming party leader.
The Highlands MSP has said she wishes to “focus on new opportunities to serve people” outside of Holyrood. Opponents have claimed there is a trend of “many of the SNP's former rising stars” who are “abandoning the stage”.
Ms Forbes, 35, has previously spoken about the impossibilities of balancing a high-profile job at Holyrood with being a mother. She entered Parliament at the 2016 election, holding a substantial majority at the 2016 and 2021 elections.
Controversial views on equality
Ms Forbes, who became finance secretary on the morning of the Budget in February 2020 after Derek MacKay was sacked, ran unsuccessfully for the SNP leadership in 2023 after Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation, losing out to Humza Yousaf.
Her leadership campaign was overshadowed by the emergence of her controversial views on equality after she admitted she would not have supported legislation for equal marriage. More criticism was thrown her way in the wake of Mr Swinney naming her his deputy last year, with the Greens warning they would not re-enter any form of arrangement with the SNP in government while Ms Forbes was involved.
Ms Forbes and SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn had been seen as potential successors to Mr Swinney. One SNP MSP said Mr Flynn would be “delighted” by the Deputy First Minister's decision.
In a letter to the First Minister, Ms Forbes has insisted she remains “wholly supportive” to Mr Swinney’s leadership, and stressed she would “continue to serve my constituents and the public with diligence over the next year”.
Ms Forbes has been tipped as a future SNP leader and agreed to stand aside to allow Mr Swinney to become First Minister last year, when she was appointed his deputy.
In a statement, the MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch said: “I have informed my constituency association today that I do not intend to seek re-election in May 2026.
“It has been a great honour to serve Highland communities for almost a decade. I am grateful to every voter who re-elected me at the last election with the biggest majority in Scotland.
“I have also been privileged to serve in Government, first as minister for public finance, then as Cabinet secretary for finance and most recently as Deputy First Minister and Cabinet secretary for economy and Gaelic.
“As I reflected over recess, I have concluded that I do not wish to seek re-election for another five year term in the Scottish Parliament.
“All politicians face a choice at every election to stay on the same path or not. Quite simply, I’ve decided on the latter. I remain wholly supportive of the First Minister, just as when I backed him to be leader of the SNP, and I look forward to campaigning for the SNP at the next election – to lead Scotland to independence.
“I have grown up in the public eye, getting married, having a baby and raising a young family. I have consistently put the public's needs ahead of my family's during that time.
“I am grateful to them for accommodating the heavy demands of being a political figure. Looking ahead to the future, I do not want to miss any more of the precious early years of family life – which can never be rewound.”
In response, Mr Swinney said he was “sorry that you have taken this decision, but recognise and understand your reasons for doing so”.
He said: “I have deeply valued the contribution you have made to the work of the Scottish National Party and the Scottish Government and am pleased we will continue to benefit from that in the approach to the May 2026 elections.
“You have made a huge contribution to public life in Scotland and have been instrumental in making progress on economic issues for my government. You have much to be proud of in all of the work you have undertaken, but I am especially heartened by the effect of your leadership on advancing support for the Gaelic language.
Sympathy from Swinney
“We all wrestle with the inevitable conflicts between family and public life and I sympathise with the dilemmas you have faced. I wish you, Ali and your family well and much happiness in the years ahead.”
Mr Ewing, a former SNP minister who will stand for re-election as an independent candidate at next year’s election, has claimed Holyrood would now “lose the brightest talent of her generation”.
He said: “With Alex Salmond’s passing last year, the SNP lost the best leader it ever had, with Kate’s decision, the SNP has lost the best leader it never had - but should have chosen.
“Sadly, the SNP has changed from being a broad church movement to a narrow cult or sect. Those with views that depart from the approved line are not welcome. Rational argument has become irrelevant.”
Former SNP MP Joanna Cherry, who lost her seat at last year’s general election, also tore into the party, branding Ms Forbes’s decision a “disaster” for the SNP.
Ms Cherry said Ms Forbes was the “hardest-working” member of the SNP Cabinet and a person of “principle” and "integrity".
Speaking about her decision to quit Holyrood, Ms Cherry said: “I sent her a text this morning to say how sorry I was that she was leaving, but I suspect there is probably a bit more to it than meets the eye.”
Ms Cherry added: “I have the utmost respect for her and I think it’s a bit of a disaster for the SNP.”
Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said “as much as being an MSP is a privilege, it is also a demanding job which can make for a difficult balance between our working and personal lives”.
She said: “In that spirit, I wish Kate all the very best in her future endeavours and hope that she can enjoy spending time with her family.
“But it cannot have escaped the notice of voters that many of the SNP's former rising stars are abandoning the stage, often to be replaced by defeated names of yesteryears and anonymous party apparatchiks.
"Kate Forbes was the future once - but now, like many of her counterparts in the SNP, she can see the writing on the wall.”
Scottish Conservative MSP Meghan Gallacher said: “Despite our political differences, I completely understand and appreciate Kate Forbes reasons for standing down. I wish her and her family well for the future.
“However, the departure of his Deputy First Minister will come as a hammer blow to John Swinney ahead of next year’s election. He made the choice to bring her back into the heart of the government last year and would have wanted her to play a key role in the campaign.”
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.