Kate Forbes: I was ‘slam dunk’ for SNP leadership until revealing gay marriage views

During the 2023 leadership contest, Yousaf defended his decision to miss the final vote on Scotland’s equal marriage legislation after it was claimed he held a meeting as cover.

Yousaf insisted he had an “inevitable” engagement to a prisoner on death row in Pakistan, adding: “I support equal marriage. I supported it then and I support it now.”

Asked earlier this week if he would attend the ARC event, First Minister John Swinney said: “I certainly wouldn’t speak at a conference like that because I wouldn’t have anything to do with Reformation.”

In response to a separate question about political unrest, Forbes said that “for too long politicians have acted as if they could implement utopia.”

Talking about the multiple referendums parts of the UK had faced in recent years, she said that each vote had left half of the population “scunnered and angry” and the other half disappointed when “they didn’t se the milk and honey flowing”.

The SNP refused to comment on Forbes’ claims but noted that Swinney had recently led pride marches in Edinburgh.

Forbes, Yousaf and Anderson have been approached for comment.

First elected in 2016, Forbes rose rapidly to become Scotland’s first female finance minister in 2020.

He returned to the backbenchers after losing to Yousaf in 2023, but considered another change in leadership the following year.

He eventually agreed to support Swinney and was appointed his deputy.

But he did not stand for re-election in May’s Holyrood election, citing family commitments.