SNP leadership candidate Kate Forbes has said her campaign to replace Nicola Sturgeon is “absolutely not over” despite a backlash on her equal marriage views.

The finance secretary earlier admitted she would have voted against gay marriage in Scotland at the time it was made legal almost a decade ago.

She also most likely would not have voted for the Scottish government’s controversial gender legislation in its current form.

Ms Forbes, who has been away on maternity leave after the birth of her first child, is in the running for SNP leader and first minister.

The MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch announced her candidacy on Monday and joins Health Secretary Humza Yousaf and MSP Ash Regan in the fight for the top job after Nicola Sturgeon’s surprise resignation announcement last week.

Equal marriage was made legal in Scotland in 2014 with an overwhelming majority of 105 votes to 18, while Ms Forbes was not elected to Holyrood until the 2016 election.

‘I will not roll back on any rights that already exist’

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She told Channel 4 News: “Marriage between a man and a woman, that is what I practice. But I will not roll back on any rights that already exist in Scotland.”

She added: “And I think the example that’s worth talking about here is Angela Merkel.

“Under Angela Merkel’s leadership, she held a vote on same-sex marriage, she implemented the results of that vote to introduce the legal right to equal marriage, but she voted in line with her conscience.”

Ms Forbes, who is a member of the Free Church of Scotland, also earlier admitted she most likely would not have voted for the Scottish government’s Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill in its current form.

As she was on maternity leave, she did not participate in the final vote before the new year, but has been clear on her opposition since 2019.

She was one of 15 SNP politicians who publicly called on her party to delay the proposals which make it easier for transgender people to self-identify as their chosen gender.

The bill was subsequently blocked by the UK government.

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In another interview, Ms Forbes said: “My concerns about self-ID have been well documented and I would have continued to have those concerns about self-ID.

“It’s very difficult to talk hypothetically when it comes to a bill but I think I would have struggled to support that self-ID element of the Gender Recognition Act.”

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‘I understand people have very strong views on these matters’

Following backlash online, Ms Forbes said she regretted the pain caused by her comments.

She told Times Radio on Tuesday morning: “I regret enormously the pain or hurt that has been caused because that was neither my intention, and I would seek forgiveness if that is how it’s come across.”

In another radio interview, she stated her campaign to replace Ms Sturgeon was “absolutely not over” despite the backlash.

She told Good Morning Scotland: “We have a large party membership, most of whom are not on Twitter.

“I understand people have very strong views on these matters.

“I think the public are longing for politicians to answer straight questions with straight answers and that’s certainly what I’ve tried to do in the media yesterday. That doesn’t necessarily allow for much nuance.

“My position on these matters is that I will defend to the hilt everybody’s rights in a pluralistic and tolerant society, to live and to love free of harassment and fear.”

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