Kate Forbes says honesty is the best policy – despite flak

Kate Forbes says she might not have won the SNP leadership election, but thinks it was worth being candid about her beliefs – because people are ‘crying out for honesty, truthfulness and integrity from their politicians’.

The former Scottish Finance Secretary narrowly lost out to Humza Yousaf in the race to become the Scottish First Minister, winning 48% of the vote in the second round of voting.

Forbes, a member of the Free Church of Scotland, was heavily questioned concerning her religious views on matters including same-sex marriage and having children outside of wedlock.

She said on A Mucky Business Podcast: ‘Maybe I would have won but would then have fallen quite quickly because of these issues emerging. I think people admired and respected honesty.’

Forbes cut her maternity leave short following the birth of her daughter Naomi to enter the contest, and she knew what was coming her way: ‘I went straight into the fiery furnace of a leadership contest, and I knew that the first questions would be about my faith. It was the most interesting part about me … I had a choice as to whether to just tell the truth or to prevaricate. It certainly struck me as the right thing to do.’

There was widespread derision of Forbes’ views from many in the media, and several of Forbes’ supporters withdrew support for her during the campaign. However, she revealed that she experienced support from many local people:

‘We experienced such a backlash to the backlash. I went into Tesco on the Friday night, concerned about what I would get from other shoppers, and we could barely get to the checkout because of the number of people who stopped us and said: ‘We just want to let you know that we are right behind you.’

Forbes said she was heartened to see Christians and non-Christians uniting behind principles such as freedom of speech, political views, and conscience, and that she was encouraged by how many people were praying for her during the contest.

She said that while a minority thought she had done ‘irreparable damage’ to her witness, ‘I’m ultimately conscious that I have to give an account for what I say and do and so will they. And perhaps that is the nature of faith, whether it is lived out publicly or privately.’