The gloves came off in the SNP leadership contest tonight as Kate Forbes savaged frontrunner Humza Yousaf over his record, suggesting he was a “mediocrity” who would let down the Yes movement and the country.

In her opening speech of the first televised hustings in the contest, the Finance Secretary said she offered a fresh start instead of the continuity offered by the Health Secretary. 

“I want to eradicate poverty, tackle the cost of living crisis and reform our NHS. I’ll do it by building a world-leading green economy, capable of driving growth for generations to come.

“More of the same is not a manifesto – it’s an acceptance of mediocrity.”

She then went for the jugular in the cross-examination section of the STV hustings, asking Mr Yousaf why he would succeed as first minister when he had failed in all his other jobs.

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After repeatedly stressing the job of first minister demanded “competence”, she said: “Humza, you've had a number of jobs in government. 

"You were a transport minister and the trains were never on time, when you were justice secretary the police were stretched to breaking point, and now as health minister, we've got record high waiting times. 

“What makes you think you can do a better job as first minister?”
Mr Yousaf said he had “built new roads and railways”, delivered the Queensferry Crossing under budget, “extended protections for domestic abuse victims” and “delivered the fastest ever Covid booster programme”.

Asked if he was the “continuity candidate” and therefore the “no change candidate”, Mr Yousaf suggested the change Ms Forbes offered was "lurching to the right" and "rolling back on progressive values", a dig at her socially conservative views, such as opposing same sex marriage.

Ms Forbes also pushed Mr Yousaf to explain where he would find the money to pay for the National Care Service, a £1.2billion plan beset by criticism over its cost and purpose.

The Herald: (left to right) Kate Forbes, Ash Regan and Humza Yousaf

“Rhetoric is easy,” she snapped after he promised to deliver the NCS in line with the SNP manifesto, but could not explain the budget.

Mr Yousaf was also goaded by former minister Ash Regan, the underdog in the race, over his plan to steadily build support for independence.

She said: “You’ve said that you’re not as smart as Nicola Sturgeon… so why do you think that you can succeed where she’s failed?”

He replied: “I want to build on that legacy. It’s not about dismissing what Nicola or John [Swinney] have done, as you have often done in hustings.”

Ms Regan accused him of “not setting out anything different”, asking why he was “happy to give Westminster a veto” on independence.

“Excuse me, I’m the only candidate who’s standing here, Ash, who has said when it comes to Westminster’s Section 35 [veto on gender reform law], I would challenge it. Neither you nor Kate have said that you will challenge that.”

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Ms Forbes demanded to know if he had seen legal advice suggesting the Scottish Government would win such a legal challenge, adding: “Unlike you, I am not spoiling for a fight regardless of the legal advice."

Mr Yousaf said her opposition to the Gender Recognition Reform Bill was “clouding her judgment”, and if it was "any other Bill, you would be standing up to the UK Government".

He said her views on gay marriage had also cost her support in the Yes movement, with MSPs deserting her. 

“Forget persuading No voters, you can’t even keep Yes voters,” he said.

Ms Forbes stressed she had made a “solemn and honest pledge when it comes to upholding and defending the right of every Scot”.

Mr Yousaf mocked Ms Regan’s plan to declare independence if Yes parties won more than 50 per cent of the votes in an election, saying the UK Government would simply ignore it.

He said: "They're not a government that respects international law, not a government that has common decency, they are going to turn to you and your plan for 50% plus one and tell you where to go.”

He also attacked Ms Forbes’s record after she said she was the only candidate who sparred with Rishi Sunak in his past role as Chancellor, saying she “left us a little bit short” in negotiations with the Treasury.

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Until now, the hustings to find the replacement for Ms Sturgeon have been chaired by SNP figures emphasising the need for civility and comradeship.

Tonight the format changed, the candidates had free rein, and they took full advantage of it.

The three candidates were also asked if they would have their rivals for the job of SNP leader in their cabinet if they were first minister.

Mr Yousaf would only say he was “not being as presumptuous as imagining what roles I am going to start dishing out”, although earlier today he did say his backer Angus Robertson would stay in the cabinet.

Ms Regan said she would put the “best people” in her cabinet, but was “extremely non-committal” about who would be in it.

Ms Forbes said she would “hope there would be roles for both of them” – although she stressed the need for a “new team”.

 

She added that there is “room for Humza Yousaf” but “maybe not in health”.

On whether Scotland should keep the monarchy under independence, Ms Forbes said there were “bigger issues facing Scotland”.

She added: “I am pretty relaxed, I would see us as part of the Commonwealth.”

But both Mr Yousaf and Ms Regan declared themselves to be republicans.

Mr Yousaf said he would “keep the monarchy for a period of time” but hoped "an independent Scotland would be a republic in the future”.

Ms Regan said her preference would be to have an elected head of state.

And she said in the “new circumstances” after the death of the Queen last year it might be time for the SNP conference to debate if retaining the monarchy was still the right policy for the party “or whether we should move to a policy of having an elected head of state”.

Scottish Tory chair Craig Hoy said: “This is a party in the midst of a civil war – riven from top to bottom with bitter splits, which were barely contained when the candidates began cross-examining each other.”

Scottish Labour deputy Jackie Baillie added: “All the SNP can offer Scotland is the politically illiterate Ash Regan, the social and economic conservative Kate Forbes and the dangerously incompetent Humza Yousaf. Frankly. I would not trust these candidates to run a bath let alone a country."