Kate Forbes’ views on children born outside marriage mean she can no longer hope to be taken seriously as a contender to become the next leader of the SNP.
She is entitled, the same as everyone in Scotland, to freedom of speech and religion. No one is arguing that Forbes should not be allowed to make her voice heard on the issues that are important to her.
But legitimate questions can also be asked about whether it is appropriate for someone with such outdated views to lead a socially liberal party in 2023.
This is not just a private matter among SNP members. Whoever wins the party’s leadership race will become the next First Minister, the figurehead for the entire nation.
Whatever your views on the SNP, the outcome of the leadership race matters. Forbes’ views on gay marriage leave her badly out of step with most of Scotland in the 2020s.
Her views on children born outside marriage are unfit for any serious politician since Queen Victoria – given that more than half of children in Scotland are born out of wedlock.
Equal marriage was a landmark reform passed by an overwhelming majority of MSPs almost a decade ago. No serious political leader could call into question legislation that has brought such happiness to so many families and couples.
SNP members must now make it clear to Forbes she is not fit to run their party. Nationalists can expect to lose supporters in their droves if they allow her to take power.
It would be better for all concerned if Forbes did the decent thing now and quit the leadership race.
The next First Minister – assuming that Forbes has little chance of winning – will now have to think long and hard about whether she can retain her position as Finance Secretary in the Scottish Government.
Allowing Forbes to resume political life like nothing has happened could send the wrong message. There is no doubt that Forbes is a talented and ambitious young woman, destined to achieve much in her life.
But she has shown herself to be politically naive in the extreme over the past two days. And her views on how many in modern Scotland lead their lives calls into question her fitness for a leading role in government.
It is right and proper that people of strong religious faith can have a place in the Scottish Parliament, which is there to represent the interests of everyone.
Other MSPs of faith currently play a leading part in the governance of our country. But a politician who takes such a dim view of a large number of of her fellow Scots is a different prospect altogether.
There can be no compromise when it comes to protecting the rights of all of our citizens.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - sign up to our daily newsletter here.
