Kate Forbes to leave government after losing SNP leadership race
SNP finance secretary Kate Forbes is to step down from the Scottish government coming second in a leadership race, reports state.
Humza Yousaf won the SNP leadership contest on Monday and was voted in as first minister by MSPs on Tuesday.
Ms Forbes declined Mr Yousaf's offer of a move to the rural affairs portfolio, according to STV.
ITV News Scotland correspondent Peter Smith reports
If she had moved to rural affairs it would have been seen as a major demotion, one which her backer and former health secretary Alex Neil branded an “insult and not a real effort to unite”, adding: “A poor start.”
However, she will continue to serve on the backbenches as the MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch.
Mr Yousaf beat Ms Forbes, his closest rival in the contest, by picking up 52% of votes compared to her 48%.
He became Scotland's youngest First Minister and the first from an minority ethnic background.
The 37-year-old succeeds Nicola Sturgeon, who formally tendered her resignation to the King on Tuesday morning after announcing her intention to stand down last month after more than eight years in the post.
Mr Yousaf confirmed social justice, housing and local government Secretary Shona Robison will be his deputy.
Many polls put Ms Forbes as the favourite for the top job, despite controversy during the campaign surrounding her beliefs on same-sex marriage.
After she lost to Mr Yousaf, Ms Forbes offered him her “warmest congratulations", adding that she was confident the party will now unite behind its new leader. She said: “I know we will continue to work together, to make the lives of all of Scotland’s people better on the next stage of our journey to independence. “Whatever the robust disagreements or frank exchanges of the last few weeks, I am confident we will unite behind Humza as our new party leader in the shared and common objective of independence.”
Prominent SNP rebel Ash Regan came third in the leadership race. Ms Regan had previously resigned from her ministerial position in protest at the Scottish government’s gender reform plans.
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