SNP: Forbes: I can take on Starmer looking for a fight

During the election campaign, the finance minister presented herself as the politician most likely to achieve independence by winning pro-union voters.

However, rival contestant Humza Yousaf has argued that her views on social issues – she admitted early in the contest that if she had been MSP in 2014 she would have voted against same-sex marriage – would deter more liberal-minded Scots from voting yes- case and that members should support him as Nicola Sturgeon’s successor as SNP leader and First Minister.

During the recent party frenzy today at Strathclyde University in Glasgow, Ms Forbes noted that the party is at a crossroads in the pro-independence campaign and also noted a visit by the Labor leader to Scotland yesterday.

“The question at this crossroads is how do we get there and who can get us there. And I think there are three things we need from a leader to get us there,” she said.

“The first … is someone who can take on the opposition. We know we don’t like it, but we know Keir Starmer was here yesterday. He’s looking for a fight.

“We have to face the opposition. And we must win by retaining the confidence of the Scottish people and delivering for them. So we need someone who can take on the opposition and keep winning elections. Second, we need someone who can reach out to new voters and convince them to vote yes, I can. I know we can do this because I believe in independence.”

A poll released Thursday by Channel 4 News and Ipsos found Ms Forbes was the public’s preferred choice, while Mr Yousaf was just ahead of Ms Forbes among SNP members.

Almost one in three (32 percent) called it the best FM. About a quarter (24 percent) said Yousaf was their choice, while less than one in ten (eight percent) chose Ms. Regan.

At today’s debate – the first of two hustings today ahead of Monday’s race vote – candidates were quizzed on a variety of issues, including achieving independence, relations with local government, commitment to progressive values ​​and the divide in the Level of education.

Mr Yousaf has positioned himself as the candidate most committed to the SNP’s progressive agenda and the only candidate who has committed to taking legal action against the UK Government for its refusal to pass the Gender Recognition Reform Bill to give consent.

“If we step away from this progressive agenda, I fear we forget the growing support for independence, we lose support for independence. We’re going to lose in the end, not just young people… We’re losing people on the other side of the spectrum who joined our party because they believe in our progressive agenda,” he told the Hustings.

“So I want to build on that again, I can’t think of a better city that is demonstrating progressive values ​​in the city of Glasgow, the city that has stood time and time again and advocated that progressive agenda and of course used to be a Labor heartland.”

He added: “If I am First Minister, I unequivocally support progressive taxation. I think those who earn the most should pay the most to invest in our public services.”

He went on to say that he “believes in welfare economics” and as First Minister would introduce a Land Reform Act to reform land tenure in Scotland.

Mr Yousaf’s teams have attempted to portray Ms Forbes as ready to move away from progressive values ​​- a claim she has firmly denied.

Speaking at the Hustings today, she said she is committed to being an advocate for people without a voice, for minority groups and to ensure resources are allocated to fight poverty. She emphasized that these values ​​influenced her work as a financial secretary.

“How do we ensure we have more funding to lift children out of poverty?” she said. “That’s the approach I’ve taken to budgets, to put fairness at the core. One of the most obvious avenues you’ve seen is through taxation, because despite the fact that we have very limited powers over taxation… we’ve used those powers to be more progressive.”

On independence, the candidates reiterated positions from previous hustings, with Ms Yousaf and Ms Forbes underlining the need to build support to influence the UK government, while Ms Regan stressed her commitment to seeing SNP electoral victories as a mandate to “enforce.” ‘ to use ‘the British government to start independence negotiations.