Kate Forbes’ religious views about same-sex marriage are being used as a “smear” in the bitter battle for the SNP leadership, her senior backers have told i.
The Forbes camp has warned rival John Swinney against “weaponising” her Christian beliefs, with the two politicians on the verge of launching leadership bids.
The row comes after leading pollster Professor Sir John Curtice told i that Ms Forbes’ stance – after saying she would have voted against legalising same-sex marriage – need not be a “barrier” to winning support with the SNP membership.
However, he said Mr Swinney’s current popularity with SNP voters, and the desperate desire for a “safe pair of hands” to end the current turmoil, put him in pole position to succeed Humza Yousaf, who resigned as SNP leader and First Minister.
There is still bad blood between Ms Forbes and senior SNP colleagues at Holyrood, after several MSPs distanced themselves from her views during the battle with Mr Yousaf to succeed Nicola Sturgeon in 2023.
The ex-finance secretary, a member of the socially-conservative Free Church of Scotland, said she would not have voted to legalise same-sex marriage in Scotland in 2014. But she insisted that she would defend marriage equality as a “legal right”.
Ms Forbes also said that having children outside of marriage was “wrong”. And she made clear that she did not support the blocked Gender Recognition Reform Bill, aimed at making it easier for transgender people to change their legally-recognised sex.
Mr Swinney, a member of the Church of Scotland who supports same-sex marriage, last year questioned whether it was “appropriate” for someone with her views to be SNP leader.
SNP sources backing Mr Swinney this time told i that Ms Forbes’ religious beliefs would remain a problem for her with the party membership – but said they hoped that it would not be openly “weaponised” against her.
One senior party figure warned that Ms Forbes’ staunch views would put off younger SNP voters, and could force many of them to stay at home at the general election.
But those backing Ms Forbes responded with fury, claiming religion was again being used unfairly in the contest. “The attacks, mostly under the cloak of anonymity, the smears and innuendo, are the weaponry of political cowards,” Fergus Ewing, an MSP, told i.
Mr Ewing added: “I’ve challenged John Swinney to retract his charges in the last leadership campaign and resolve to refrain from them in this one.”
SNP MSP Michelle Thomson, another leading Forbes backer, added: “Kate has made perfectly clear that her personal faith will have no influence in how she makes policy decisions.”
Ms Thomson said accusations that her faith is a problem “appear misogynistic”, adding: “They have not been directed at John Swinney who is extremely religious, nor Humza Yousaf.”
Ipsos polling has found that SNP voters favour Mr Swinney over Ms Forbes, leading 30 per cent to 21 per cent as the preferred leader. However, Ms Forbes is favoured 26 per cent to 20 per cent by the wider public in Scotland.
Sir John said Ms Forbes did better with the grassroots “than many inside the SNP expected” last year, having only narrowly lost the membership vote to Mr Yousaf, 48 per cent to 52 per cent.
He told i: “The SNP membership is not as concerned about her [religious] views as parliamentarians. Her views aren’t necessarily a barrier. The membership is on the older side, like all party memberships, so her views aren’t that controversial with many of them.
“But given Mr Swinney’s personal popularity in the SNP [membership], and the current circumstances, when the mood appears to be, ‘Can we get a safe pair of hands?’, I’m not sure she will get 48 per cent against Mr Swinney.”
Senior Scottish Tory MSP Murdo Fraser said it was “illiberal and dangerous” for Ms Forbes’ religious views to be used against her. “It does just show how desperate some in the SNP establishment are to stop a Forbes candidacy at all costs.”
It emerged that Ms Forbes held “informal” talks with Mr Swinney in Edinburgh on Tuesday. But there have been no negotiations about backing out in exchange for a cabinet position, i understands, with the Highlands MSP encouraged by messages of support from the grassroots.
On Ms Forbes’ meeting with Mr Swinney, her spokesperson said: “It was a purely informal meeting. Kate is continuing to weigh up whether to run and is grateful for the growing outpouring of support.”
Ms Forbes used Wednesday to discuss her policy platform in the event she decides to run, i understands. With top backers urging her to make it a contest, rather than a coronation for Mr Swinney, Ms Forbes said she was still “actively considering” whether to launch a bid.
She also said she “fundamentally disagreed” with the idea that she would lose with the membership again, noting that she won the support of half the membership last time.
Mr Yousaf called for “unity” within his party on Wednesday. “We will gain nothing if we talk each other down.” The departing leader also told BBC Scotland that he would not publicly back anyone who runs.
Ms Sturgeon told reporters at Holyrood that she was “not going to try to tell other members how to vote”, adding: “I hope the contest is positive”.
A Scottish Labour-led vote of no confidence in Mr Yousaf’s Scottish Government was defeated by 70 votes to 58 on Wednesday. The Scottish Greens backed the SNP minority administration, after the First Minister announced on Monday that he would resign.
Mr Yousaf conceded that the way in which he suddenly tore up the Bute House coalition deal with the Greens led to his exit. “I accept fully the manner in which it was done clearly caused upset, and therefore I’ve paid the price of that. That’s on me.”