The Conservative morality of Kate Forbes will never lead Sturgeon’s party

THE PAST few days have seen the Scottish National Party convulsed by the backlash to the socially conservative views of Finance Minister and leadership candidate Kate Forbes.

A member of the evangelical Free Church of Scotland, Forbes has been blunt about her beliefs on abortion, homosexuality, and sex outside of marriage. Most strikingly, she admitted that had she been in Holyrood at the time, she would have voted against the legalisation of same-sex marriage.

For this she has been extensively criticised, with some of her early backers withdrawing their support. This has led some, including Forbes herself, to suggest that such criticism shows an intolerance towards religious minorities. This ignores the many religious politicians, including fellow Free Church member and the SNP’s former Westminster leader Ian Blackford, who have criticised Forbes.

What complicates this issue is the widespread belief that social issues should be matters of conscience where individual MPs are given the freedom to vote in line with their personal beliefs. This, however, misunderstands the history. Such free votes were first offered as a mutual disarmament pact