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Kate Forbes

Former Scottish Finance and Economy Secretary

Kate Elizabeth Forbes (Scottish Gaelic: Ceit Fhoirbeis; born 6 April 1990) is a Scottish politician and accountant who served as the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy from February 2020 to March 2023. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch constituency since 2016. In February 2023, Forbes declared her candidacy in her party's election for the Leader of the SNP (who automatically becomes the First Minister of Scotland), but was defeated by Humza Yousaf.

Kate Forbes in 2021.

Quotes

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  • It is a great injustice when we ignore God's plan for women... His plan clearly states that, specifically within the Church, "I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man".
  • Now, I admit that often I don’t understand the "whys" of God’s plans. Maybe it's because I don’t know myself as well as He does. He knows the exact number of hairs on my head. I don't. Or, maybe it's because I'm not God and never will be, and so I don’t quite grasp his reasoning.
    Maybe it's because I am ambitious, young and female. I have a degree from Cambridge University, worked in politics and I'm now employed on one of the best fast-track schemes in the business world. Education, hard work, and stewarding our talents within the parameters of Scripture are commended in God’s Word.
  • I think for me, Angela Merkel is the example I would follow, I would have voted, as a matter of conscience, along the lines of mainstream teaching in most major religions that marriage is between a man and a woman.
    But I would have respected and defended the democratic choice that was made.
    It is a legal right now and I am a servant of democracy, I am not a dictator.
  • [On having children outside marriage.] It's entirely up to them. It's something that I would seek to avoid for me personally.
    But it doesn't fuss me, it doesn't put me up nor down. The choices that other people make is [up to them].
    In terms of my faith, my faith would say that sex is for marriage and that's the approach that I would practice. [...]
    For me, it would be wrong according to my faith, but for you I have no idea what your faith is. So, in a free society you can do what you want.
  • A rapist cannot be a woman and therefore my straight answer would be that Isla Bryson is a man.
  • [Asked if SNP colleagues withdrawal of support following her expression of socially conservative opinions about same-sex marriage had affected her campaign.] Absolutely not [...] We have a large party membership, most of whom are not on Twitter, and I understand that people have very strong views on these matters.
    I think the public are longing for politicians to answer straight questions with straight answers and that's certainly what I tried to do in the media yesterday. That doesn't necessarily allow for much nuance.
  • [On same-sex marriage.] My position on these matters is I will defend to the hilt everybody's right in a pluralistic and tolerant society to live and to love free of harassment and fear.
    And in the same way I hope that others can be afforded the rights of people of faith to practice fairly mainstream teaching. And that is the nuance that we need to capture on equal marriage.
    Equal marriages is a legal right, and as a servant of democracy, rather than a dictator, I absolutely respect and defend that democratic right.
  • The primary calling is to be in the dirt of reality [...] Where do you see Christ historically? You see Him, not in some sort of cathedral or some elevated ivory tower; you see Him in the midst of vulnerable, under-represented, underprivileged people. That's what politics is, theoretically. So therefore, there is a natural home in the midst of the underprivileged, under-represented, voiceless people. You then go from there into parliament, to try and make good law that serves those people, and that's where, quite rightly, there's a democratic debate.

About Forbes

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  • I support same sex marriage and like anyone I'm disappointed when anyone disagrees with me. But if you’re asking me to condemn someone for their religious views you've failed to understand the basic responsibilities of being minister for equality. [...] I actually admire her for not being dishonest. It'd be very easy for her to tell lies, just so that she could win that election, and she's not doing that, and I think that that's something that people need to take into account.
  • I do think that those people who are withdrawing support from her, I'd ask "why did you support her in the first place"?
    Because I don't think what she's saying is new, and I think it shows a level of unseriousness of many people who engage in political activity and commentary, where they don't take things seriously in terms of "why am I supporting this person"?
  • [After Forbes said she would have voted against same-sex marriage in the Scottish parliament if she had been a MSP in 2014] In practice, I think you couldn't get elected leader of the Conservative Party now, with the view that she has, so try getting elected leader of a more left-wing party with that view, that's the difficulty that she’s got.
  • [Forbes is] entitled to her view [but same-sex marriage] has become part of the culture of the country around the United Kingdom over the last ten years.
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