Kate Forbes quitting is a major blow to the SNP and raises wider questions
Kate Forbes is widely seen as one of the SNP’s brightest and best.
The decision by Kate Forbes to stand down at the Holyrood election next year is a major blow for the SNP.
The Deputy First Minister is one of her party’s brightest and best, regardless of whether you agree with her views. John Swinney was eager to bring her on board when he took over the leadership in 2024 precisely because she was seen as a serious rival.
Together, the pair were able to stitch the SNP back together after a bruising period for the party.
Ms Forbes faced criticism for her socially conservative religious views when she ran for the leadership in 2023, losing to Humza Yousaf. But she still managed to secure almost half the vote, and plenty within the party thought her time would come.
In reality, it was always difficult to see her taking over without a damaging internal row. Many of those within the SNP’s more urban, progressive wing would not have accepted it.
But no one doubted her ability or skill, least of all Mr Swinney. Her decision to head for the exit deprives the party of much-needed talent ahead of a potentially difficult election. It also raises wider questions for Holyrood and politics more generally.
“I am in no doubt about the scale of my duties as a local representative, an activist and campaigner, and a government minister,” Ms Forbes wrote in her letter to the First Minister. “Quite rightly this job entails long days far from home, constant attention and total dedication.
“As I consider the upcoming election and the prospects of another term, I have concluded that I do not wish to seek re-election and miss any more of the precious early years of family life.”
Ms Forbes gave birth to her daughter Naomi in August 2022, and has been open about the difficulties of juggling childcare with her demanding government role.
“Over the course of my political career, I've negotiated budgets, piloted legislation through parliament and faced the media huddle,” she wrote in The Times earlier this year. “Those experiences were formational. They were merely preparing me for the greatest challenge: figuring out alternative childcare when the childminder calls in sick.”
Every parent feels "the guilt", she wrote. “Some have the added dimension, as I do, of long weeks away from home.”
Modern politics is a demanding, all-consuming job. For those at the top, it swallows up pretty much all your time and energy. Perhaps that is just the way it has to be when you are running a country, or seeking to hold those in power to account.
But we often talk about the need for our politicians to reflect wider society. If we are serious about this, rather than just paying lip service to a nice idea, then we need to do more to retain those who have outside commitments. And unfortunately, the burden of family life often still falls most heavily on women.
Ms Forbes previously warned the lack of adequate childcare at the Scottish Parliament would lead to more MSPs with children standing down. Similar concerns have been raised by her political opponents. There is a creche, but it is time-limited, which is of little use to those who work full-time.
The Deputy First Minister is only 35 and may yet return to the political fray. But if the demands of family life and top-level politics are seen as fundamentally incompatible, we risk losing a vitally important perspective from our debate.
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