Defeated SNP leadership candidate Kate Forbes turns down government job offer from Humza Yousaf

The Highlander is understood to have been offered the rural affairs job but now wants to sit on the backbenches.

By Andy Philip and Rachel Amery

March 28 2023, 3:24 pm

Humza Yousaf is being told to give Ash Regan and Kate Forbes cabinet positions. Image: Andrew Milligan/PA.

Defeated SNP leadership candidate Kate Forbes has snubbed Humza Yousaf’s offer of a job in his new-look Scottish Government.

The Press and Journal was told the Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch MSP was offered a role in the rural brief shortly after Mr Yousaf was voted in as first minister on Tuesday afternoon.

It is a major blow to the new leader who was clearly trying to bridge a divide with his main rival in the bitter SNP contest.

A source confirmed the offer was made shortly after Ms Forbes joined MSPs in the Holyrood parliament to see Mr Yousaf take over from Nicola Sturgeon.

It came hours after Highland MSP Fergus Ewing demanded the new first minister makes an offer to his two beaten rivals, also giving Ash Regan a place in government.

The SNP results

Mr Yousaf won 52% of the votes after the final round of counting on Monday.

However, the “continuity” candidate only narrowly beat Ms Forbes who promised to bring about change if she won.

Mr Yousaf’s first task will be to form the next cabinet of top ministers in roles overseeing areas such as health, justice and transport.

Those who supported Ms Forbes’s campaign say the new first minister must reflect on the support the party has for her when he’s handing out jobs.

His first appointment was to make Shona Robison deputy first minister, a role previously held for years by John Swinney.

‘Offer both candidates positions’

Mr Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, said he is “really disappointed” at the leadership result, calling Ms Forbes an “outstanding candidate” who is able to persuade people to independence.

He said: “My message would be to offer both candidates cabinet positions.

“That would go down extremely well with the party, myself included.

“Kate Forbes is already a key member of the cabinet and Ash Regan has shown she has the ability and courage to step up.”

Regan return could be tricky

Currently Ms Forbes is finance secretary, and Ms Regan is the former community safety minister. But Ms Regan’s decision to resign over gender reform laws will make a government return tricky if Mr Yousaf plans to forge ahead with the policy.

Mr Ewing added Mr Yousaf’s top priority should be dualling the A9 between Inverness and Perth and the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen.

He has previously criticised the SNP for delays and has said the government is in the “last chance saloon”.

Now he adds: “We are starting to hear the barman say ‘time gentlemen, please’.”

Perthshire South and Kinross-shire MSP Jim Fairlie was one of the first parliamentarians to publicly back Ms Forbes after she lost a lot of support for her comments on gay marriage.

Mr Fairlie now says he is “100% behind” Mr Yousaf.