SNP leadership contest runner-up Kate Forbes has admitted she wanted to stay on as her party’s finance chief despite claims she was asked to take on the rural affairs post for a better “work-life balance”.
The Highland MSP turned down Humza Yousaf’s job offer and opted for a return to the backbenches after his victory against her in the race to become first minister.
Dundee-based Mr Yousaf only narrowly defeated Ms Forbes despite being backed by senior party figures including the party’s Aberdeen-based Westminster chief Stephen Flynn.
The new first minister asked Ms Forbes to remain in his cabinet in an attempt to unify the SNP, but the rural affairs job was seen as a demotion from running the economy.
Mr Yousaf instead decided to give the finance role to party veteran and Dundee MSP Shona Robison, a key ally who has also been named deputy first minister.
Ms Robison claimed managing Scotland’s rural areas would have given Ms Forbes a better work-life balance, even though she had campaigned to run the whole country.
Ms Forbes was off on maternity leave when Nicola Sturgeon announced her shock decision to quit and had not yet returned to Holyrood.
Speaking to the Holyrood Sources podcast, the Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch MSP said she “loved” the finance brief and would have happily stayed on.
She said: “It’s well-known I absolutely loved the finance role. It was a role I felt I could do well.”
However, Ms Forbes defended Mr Yousaf’s to install Ms Robison instead, pointing out he ultimately won the contest.
She said: “Humza Yousaf won. He’s the boss. And the boss gets to pick his team. In that regard, credit to him where it is due.
“He had a conversation with me immediately after winning about my future role.
“He’s been respectful, he’s been warm, I have been respectful and warn in return despite some reports of perhaps slightly more impolite phrasing.”
‘Difficult’ role
Ms Forbes said she may have struggled as rural affairs chief due to her doubts over SNP plans to protect marine areas by limiting activities such as fishing.
She said: “Having already expressed some considerable concerns about Highly Protected Marine Areas during the contest, it would be difficult to deliver Highly Protected Marine Areas as part of that brief.”
Angus MSP Mairi Gougeon remained in post as rural affairs secretary after Ms Forbes turned down the job.
Speaking on the Sunday Show, SNP economy secretary Neil Gray said Ms Robison was made finance chief because Mr Yousaf wanted the deputy first minister to hold the role.
He said the “door is open” for Ms Forbes to make a return to the government’s top team in the future and said Mr Yousaf “genuinely wanted” her to be in his cabinet.
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