Inside SNP's internal battle as ‘real reason' for Kate Forbes resignation revealed
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
KATE Forbes decided to quit Holyrood after tiring of being undermined by Cabinet colleagues, insiders have claimed.
The Deputy First Minister revealed she will depart in May for more time with husband Alasdair and daughter Naomi.
Sign up for the Politics newsletter
Sign up
3
Kate Forbes will stand down as an MSP next year
3
MSP Kate Forbes plays with her daughter Naomi at nursery in Scottish Parliament
Credit: Euan Cherry - Commissioned by The Times
3
Kate Forbes with husband Ali and their daughter Naomi
Credit: EPA
It came as a source described her critics in the Scottish Government as 'like a nest of vipers" who made her life "as difficult as possible."
The Deputy First Minister chose daughter Naomi's third birthday to tell boss John Swinney she was ditching the cauldron of Holyrood to enjoy 'the precious early years of family life'.
But party sources said Ms Forbes had also grown tired of being 'undermined' by cabinet colleagues who saw her as a threat to Housing Secretary Màiri McAllan — seen as a future Nats leader.
One insider said: 'Perhaps if Kate hadn't been getting tripped up at every step by people who are meant to be on her side then she would have stayed on.
'But given the personal sacrifices, it is clearly not worth the effort any longer.
'The family issues are clearly a huge factor for Kate but may not have been insurmountable if other things were different.'
In her letter to the First Minister, Ms Forbes, 35, said she had given 'careful thought' to her future before deciding she 'does not wish to seek re-election' at next May's Scottish Parliament elections.
And she told broadcaster LBC of a lack of 'support' for parents at Holyrood.
She added: 'I'm not the first mum who's also an MSP to cite motherhood as a reason for standing down.'
The Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch MSP since 2016 said: 'It is partly because of the eight-hour return drive I do every week, and the minimum five-hour drive across the constituency.
Kate Forbes picks her biggest scandal of the SNP's time in power
'It's one thing to try to get home every night to see them, it's another to face the prospect of going full weeks without being there.'
Another source said: 'John Swinney simply saw Kate as window dressing for a certain section of the Scottish electorate.
'Swinney has not had the courage to stand up to the likes of McAllan and [Education Secretary] Jenny Gilruth.
"They will think they've won, but the SNP will be in a worse place and in a worse position electorally without Forbes.'
And former SNP special adviser Geoff Aberdein said there was 'no doubt' Ms McAllan has ambitions to rival Westminster chief Stephen Flynn as Mr Swinney's heir apparent — but both lacked Ms Forbes' economic competence.
Mr Aberdein told the Holyrood Sources podcast: 'I'm not saying there aren't people in the party who are viewed as credible in the business community, but nowhere near as credible as Kate Forbes.
'There will be some in the party who will be quite pleased by this decision which really frustrates me because, whether you agree with her brand of politics or not, she is a huge electoral asset.'
Now a managing partner at the True North think tank, Mr Aberdein said he has been inundated with messages from business leaders lamenting Ms Forbes' departure.
He said: 'She's extremely credible to the business community and that is a gap that John Swinney is going to have to fill.
'That is a major problem and I hope it is not a major recalibration, because if you don't have voices within your party that can speak to that then that is a huge weakness.'
A senior Scottish Government source rejected the claims that cabinet rivalry was a factor in Ms Forbes quitting.
They said: 'This is utter rubbish. Kate has set out her reasons for standing down.'
And Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville dismissed claims that Ms Forbes threw in the towel because she had become disenchanted with the SNP.
She said: 'Political hacks are trying to find another angle but maybe, just maybe, it's about someone doing what's best for her and her family.'
Ms Forbes, who married husband Alasdair MacLennan in 2021, became the Scottish Government's youngest Finance Secretary when she succeeded shamed Derek Mackay in 2020.
She came under fire for her views on gay marriage, abortion and trans rights.
And she publicly opposed Nicola Sturgeon's doomed plan to allow people to legally change sex through self-declaration.
Several senior Scottish Government figures rejected Ms Forbes' stance, including Mr Swinney, despite his own Christian faith.
Her profile continued to rise, however, and in 2023 she narrowly lost to Humza Yousaf in a bitter SNP leadership race.
Former SNP MP Joanna Cherry acknowledged the Deputy First Minister's announcement that she was stepping down to spend more time with family but said there is 'probably a bit more to it than meets the eye'.
She said: 'I have the utmost respect for Kate and I think it's a bit of a disaster for the SNP.'
Former SNP MP Angus MacNeill, said: 'Kate wouldn't be walking away if there was a prospect of the SNP delivering independence.'
He added: 'When there is no strategy, just cluelessness, a groundhog five years at Westminster's devolved parliament ain't so appealing.'
Mr Swinney said: 'I pay tribute to Kate for her invaluable contribution to public life over the last ten years.
"The challenges of frontline politics are considerable, and I understand the decision she has made, although I wish it was not the case.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Inner London to lose out in funding rebalance, says IFS report
Councils in inner London are set to become the biggest losers under a government plan to update council funding rules, a think tank Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) found some London boroughs could see their funding levels drop up to 12% once inflation is taken into areas in outer London are set to gain from the changes, the researchers found, along with urban areas outside the capital including Nottingham, Wolverhampton and government argues the overhaul is necessary because councils' funding has become out of step with local demand for services. The new funding system, to be phased in over three years from 2026, will see changes to the formulas used by government to capture levels of demand for council-run services, along with the differing cost of delivering them.A greater share of funding will be redirected towards areas with a higher share of properties in lower council tax bands, whilst the portion of business rates income that councils have been allowed to keep since 2013 will be IFS predicts the proposed changes are set to redistribute around £2.1bn in annual government funding, with 186 authorities losing out and 161 will not be possible to say exactly what the changes will mean for each area until the plans are finalised later this the think tank said Camden, Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, Wandsworth and Westminster would see their overall funding drop by 11–12%, even accounting for a proposed funding floor to limit areas are set to lose out under the government's proposed method to even out differences in council tax revenues, given they have low rates and many properties in higher bands, it added. Outside London, the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions are set to see the biggest increases in funding, according to the with relatively high - but not the highest - population densities are also set to fare well, it estimates, including outer London boroughs and councils in Blackpool, Nottingham and added that the widest range of outcomes would be seen in shire district councils, where some councils where business rate income has grown most, such as Mid Suffolk and North West Leicestershire, would lose such districts in more urban areas, such as Harlow, Crawley and Norwich, are among the biggest share of funding going to the very poorest areas will be substantially larger, it added, than for the least deprived. 'Moving the pain' The shake-up will affect the share of central government funding distributed to councils in England, including income they are allowed to keep from business currently represents around half of their income, with councils raising the rest locally, subject to a 5% cap on yearly is allocated according to a complex mix of formulas taking into account factors like population and ministers argue the current rules, which have not been updated in over a decade, are failing to reflect higher demand for council services in poorer Liberal Democrats said the changes would "come as a shock to the system for many councils," branding the changes "robbing Peter to pay Paul"."The government is moving the pain of chronic council underfunding from one community to another instead of delivering the economic growth that would deliver the revenue to fund local services everywhere," added deputy leader Daisy Cooper. 'Decisive action' A spokesperson for the local government department said: "The current, outdated way in which local authorities are funded means the link between funding and need for services has broken down, leaving communities left behind."That's why we are taking decisive action to reform the funding system so we can get councils back on their feet and improve public services". Although there is widespread agreement among councils that the current system is badly in need of updating, designing a new one poses a political headache for ministers ahead of a significant set of local elections due next local leaders have warned that current funding levels do not cover the rising cost of mandatory services such as adult social care and special educational needs, despite real-terms funding increases in more recent years. Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to keep up with the inner workings of Westminster and beyond.
Rhyl Journal
2 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
I push Keir Starmer to be more extroverted in Scotland
Mr Sarwar said he speaks to the Prime Minister every two or three weeks, often calling at weekends when they both have more free time. The Scottish Labour leader also said he will not engage in any 'back room stitch-ups' with other parties if he becomes first minister following the Scottish election next year. At an Edinburgh Fringe event in front of a live audience, Mr Sarwar was interviewed by Catherine Salmond, editor of The Herald. He was pressed on his relationship with the UK Labour leader and whether Sir Keir was comfortable coming north of the border. He said: 'We're different personalities… I am much more probably conversational, out there, a bit of an extrovert. 'I think it's safe to say he's a bit more introverted in that sense.' Mr Sarwar said Sir Keir had become more relaxed and confident in the five years since becoming Labour leader. He said Sir Keir was more relaxed in Scotland than in other parts of the UK, adding: 'I think we've built up a rapport, probably because I am pushing to be a bit more of extroverted than perhaps he is in other parts.' He said he spoke to the Prime Minister around 'two or three times a month'. However he said the early part of Labour's response to the war in Gaza had been 'challenging' for his party, referring to an interview the Prime Minister gave where he said Israel had the 'right' to withhold power and water from Gaza in response to the October 7 attacks. 'I think the early part was challenging, he himself accepts that what he said in the LBC interview wasn't right,' Mr Sarwar said. Discussing the Middle East further, he said: 'I think we have to be doing much more to hold the Israeli government to account. 'To provide evidence that there is not any components that are being used in a proactive way in Gaza.' Looking ahead to the 2026 Scottish election, Mr Sarwar said he was putting his 'heart, soul energy, time' into winning. He said it would be a 'very close election' likely to result in a 'parliament of minorities'. Rather than doing deals such as the SNP-Green powersharing agreement, he said he would 'work progressively with the parliament' if he became first minister. He said: 'We are looking to form a minority Scottish Labour government that does no kind of back room stich-up but instead moves to govern based on what we promised.'
Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Telegraph
A long-term plan is needed to get the country out of its financial hole
SIR – Whether by raising income tax rates, a wealth tax or through less overt measures, the Government will try to extract more money from the people that it serves ('Reeves facing £50bn black hole as tax pressure mounts ', report, August 6). However, such measures risk being self-defeating. Those who are unable or unwilling to leave the country will bear the brunt of the tax rises. That includes standard and higher-rate taxpayers. Every pound the Government extracts from their bank accounts is a pound that cannot be spent on businesses that provide goods and services. Thus, businesses will take another hit which, in turn, will reduce their tax payments. Since the failure of the Truss administration, there has been no long-term plan to get the country out of its financial hole. Eventually, there will have to be one and it will likely involve curbing the insatiable appetite of government to control and spend. When such a plan sees the light of day we may be surprised at the boost it gives to confidence and investment. David Porter Plymouth, Devon SIR – Labour dug itself a financial hole when it pledged not to increase National Insurance (NI), VAT or income tax rates. Instead of imposing VAT on private schools and possibly even on private health, a simple 1 or 2 per cent rise on NI and/or the basic rate of income tax would have solved the Chancellor's problems. Now she is having to cast her net wider – and creating more problems as a result. John Tilsiter Radlett, Hertfordshire SIR – Taxing jobs and taxing capital is not going to result in economic growth. Is it too much to expect a former Bank of England economist to grasp this? Patrick Loxdale Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SIR – There is a limit to which any economy can be taxed. The UK is at that limit. The British public understands this. It is plain that public sector expenditure must be cut to balance the books. Given the Government throws billions around like confetti – on the Chagos Islands, the immigration fiasco, welfare, public sector pay rises, excessive numbers of civil servants – there is much low-hanging fruit. The economy is being badly managed as never before. Enough is enough. Please can we have some economic sanity. Stuart Moore Bramham, West Yorkshire SIR – Having continually criticised the Conservatives for the last 12 months for creating a £22bn black hole in the public finances, I trust Labour will now be constantly criticising itself for doubling the deficit. Paul Webster Dyserth, Denbighshire
