Kate Forbes quits Holyrood calling for parent support

Scottish Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes announced she would not seek re-election (Andrew Milligan/PA) Andrew Milligan

Scotland's Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes has called for sweeping changes to support parents in politics after announcing she will quit Holyrood. The SNP politician said she refuses to "miss any more of the precious early years of family life" as she steps down from one of Scotland's most promising political careers.

Forbes will not seek re-election in the Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch constituency next year, ending her current parliamentary tenure. The mother of a two-year-old daughter and three step-daughters has pushed for the Scottish Parliament to become more accommodating for politicians with young families.

Parliament needs family-friendly overhaul

The Deputy First Minister warned she is "not the first and, unless anything changes, unlikely to be the last" parent to abandon politics due to family pressures. Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland on Tuesday, Forbes said "so many parents know the pressures and the guilt of balancing all of this, and I'm totally in the same camp as them".

Her decision follows a pattern of women leaving Holyrood citing similar concerns. Former Conservative leader Ruth Davidson, former minister Aileen Campbell and MSPs Jenny Marra and Gail Ross all stepped down at the 2021 election, voicing frustrations about balancing political careers with motherhood.

Remote constituency adds travel burden

Forbes highlighted the particular challenges of representing one of Scotland's most geographically demanding constituencies. She described facing an "eight hours return trip to my place of work" and sometimes "a minimum three to four hours drive across the constituency before the day even begins".

The Deputy First Minister criticised Holyrood's childcare provision as inadequate for working parents. She pointed to the parliament's creche, which operates only three hours per day for three days a week, saying: "I don't know anybody who only works three hours per day, so that doesn't make sense."

Leadership ambitions remain uncertain

Despite stepping down, Forbes has not completely ruled out a future political return, suggesting she might consider such a move "maybe in 20 years". Her departure removes one of the SNP's most prominent figures, who has been marked for leadership since becoming finance secretary in 2020.

Forbes lost the SNP leadership race following Nicola Sturgeon's resignation in 2023, with her campaign damaged by criticism of her views on social issues including abortion and gay marriage. However, she played kingmaker when Humza Yousaf resigned last year, choosing to support John Swinney rather than force a potentially damaging leadership contest.

The Deputy First Minister insisted the "sometimes ugly criticisms" she faced were "in the past" as she continued to voice support for the SNP and Scottish independence. Her decision to prioritise family over political ambition highlights ongoing challenges facing parents in high-pressure political roles.

(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.