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The Herald Scotland

Kate Forbes quits: what it means for the SNP

"I'm going to be held to account for what we deliver,' she added. Well, not any more. READ MORE The news that she will not stand at next year's election has properly stunned the SNP group at [[Holyrood]] and the wider party. The timing of the announcement that she wants to spend more time with her young family is not coincidental. Today is her daughter Naomi's third birthday. There is something a bit jarring about some of the tributes paid to Ms Forbes, especially those by people who had attacked and briefed against her during 2023's bitter SNP leadership campaign. But that's politics, I suppose. John Swinney recently claimed to have 'healed' his party, but the scars from that lengthy battle between Ms Forbes, Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan are still fresh. And while his deputy's decision to stand down means the race to replace John Swinney is now likely to be between Stephen Flynn and Mairi McAllan, could it also signal a change in the party's politics? 'Kate was holding back some of the wilder current obsessions,' one MSP told me. 'As we approach the election, watch the party stance on so-called conversion therapy' they added. Plans for a ban were shelved after [[John Swinney]] succeeded Mr Yousaf as First Minister, with the Scottish Government instead working with UK ministers on Westminster-led legislation. There is, of course, an election looming, one where, thanks to Nigel Farage, the result is still widely unpredictable. It may be that the SNP needs to look, once again, at the Greens for help in forming a government. No Kate Forbes, and a move on conversion therapy could make those Bute House Mk2 conversations a little easier. Another senior SNP source said they thought Ms Forbes' resignation was a damning indictment of the party's chances next year. 'We're losing parts left right and centre' they said. 'It doesn't bode well for John's plan to win a majority next year - if there was even a glimmer of that happening I doubt she'd have thrown in the towel.' Another thing about the timing of the announcement is that it comes just days before the Deputy First Minister is due to sit down with The Herald at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for a long form interview in front of a live audience. The chat will take place in the Dissection Room at Summerhall, the capital's old vet school. There is plenty to dissect.