Perthshire MSP ‘disappointed’ at Kate Forbes defeat as she snubs job offer from winner Humza Yousaf

Perthshire MSP Jim Fairlie says he is disappointed at the SNP leadership result, after publicly backing Kate Forbes.

She was beaten to the job by Humza Yousaf with 52% of the votes after the final round of counting.

And in a further blow, she was offered a demotion by the new first minister on his first day in the job.

It’s understood Ms Forbes was offered the role of rural affairs instead of keeping her finance secretary job.

She turned the offer down in a meeting shortly after Mr Yousaf was voted in to the job by MSPs in Holyrood.

As the new first minister, Mr Yousaf’s first task is to form a cabinet of government appointments in roles overseeing areas such as health, justice and transport.

His first decision was to make Dundee City East MSP Shona Robison deputy first minister – a job previously held by John Swinney.

Those who supported Ms Forbes’s campaign say the new first minister must reflect on the support the party has for her when he’s handing out jobs.

Desire for change

Mr Fairlie, MSP for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire, was one of the first parliamentarians to publicly back Ms Forbes after she lost a lot of support for her comments on gay marriage.

Reflecting on the result one day after voting, he said he is now “100% behind” Mr Yousaf.

“Clearly campaigning for someone and then losing is disappointing, but we will get ourselves back together and keep going,” he said.

“I think Humza Yousaf is already mindful of the fact a large cohort voted for what was described as a change agenda.

“He has already taken that on board, so I am not worrying about that.”

Time to get on with day job

Inverness and Nairn MSP Fergus Ewing had also backed fellow Highlander Ms Forbes.

He said he is “really disappointed” at the leadership result, describing her as an “outstanding candidate” able to persuade people to independence.

He wanted both losing candidates to get positions in the new cabinet.

Mr Ewing said: “That would go down extremely well with the party, myself included.”

Ms Regan’s decision to resign over gender reform laws will make a government return tricky if Mr Yousaf plans to forge ahead with the policy.

Mr Ewing said Mr Yousaf’s top priority should be dualling the A9 between Inverness and Perth and the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen.

He has previously criticised the SNP for delays and has said the government is in the “last chance saloon” on this issue.

Now he adds: “We are starting to hear the barman say ‘time gentlemen, please’.”