Voters don't back anti-gay marriage politicians in blow to Kate Forbes

Grim sign for Kate Forbes’s campaign to become First Minister as most Brits – including majority of Scots – say they WOULDN’T vote for a politician who opposes gay marriage or sex outside wedlock for religious reasons

• Exclusive analysis for MailOnline shows voters are liberal on social issues 
• Forbes created furore when she said she would vote against same-sex marriage
• She is one of three contenders vying to replace Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister 

Kate Forbes’s campaign to become Scotland’s First minister took a blow today as a new poll suggested her religious views could cost the SNP votes.

Exclusive analysis for MailOnline shows that a majority of voters would refuse to support a politician from the party they usually back if they were opposed to gay marriage, pre-marital sex or abortions for rape victims.

Ms Forbes, a devout Christian, created a furore last week when she revealed she would vote against same-sex marriage if it had not already been made legal.

She also said she was opposed to sex between couples who were not married, while she has previously espoused pro-life views and anti-abortion views in line with those of the Free Church of Scotland, of which she is a member.

She is one of three contenders vying to replace Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and Scotland’s First Minister next month. 

The poll of 1,500 people was carried out by Redfield and Wilton Strategies last Thursday, February 23.

Exclusive analysis for MailOnline shows that a majority of voters would refuse to support a politician from the party they usually back if they were opposed to gay marriage, pre-marital sex or abortions for rape victims.

Ms Forbes, a devout Christian, created a furore last week when she revealed she would vote against same-sex marriage if it had not already been made legal.

She also said she was opposed to sex between couples who were not married, while she has previously espoused pro-life views and anti-abortion views.

This morning Mr Yousaf was asked on Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday whether it was acceptable for a FM to oppose equal marriage.

Seven in 10 voters across the UK as a whole and in Scotland specifically refused to back a politician who was opposed to abortions for rape victims and extra-marital sex. 

There was also majority opposition to politicians who were against same sex marriage, though not at such a high rate. Such unions have been legal since 2014. 

A separate poll today suggested Ms Forbes is the favourite candidate of Scottish voters – but falls far short of support of the majority. 

In the Panelbase poll for the Sunday Times, 23 per cent said they would like Ms Forbes to be the next SNP leader, with 15 per cent saying so for Humza Yousaf and 7 per cent saying so for Ash Regan.

But almost half (49 per cent) responded ‘don’t know’.

Among SNP voters, the Panelbase poll put Ms Forbes in the lead for preference to be first minister at 20 per cent, with Mr Yousaf on 18 per cent and Ms Regan on 9 per cent.

The poll also asked voters about the candidates’ performance in their ministerial roles in terms of whether they were doing a good or bad job. Mr Yousaf was on minus 16 in this regard.

Just hours after announcing her bid for the leadership, Ms Forbes told the media she would not have voted for equal marriage if she had been in parliament at the time.

These statements, along with others relating to her religious views as a member of the Free Church of Scotland, led to some of her early backers withdrawing their support.

This morning Mr Yousaf was asked on Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday whether it was acceptable for a FM to oppose equal marriage.

‘Not if they would roll back on those rights, I don’t think that’s acceptable,’ he said. 

‘We have equal marriage now in Scotland. If they were able to disassociate their view and not let that interfere within policy making or legislating, then I think that’s a different matter. 

‘But if they have already said that they would, you know, roll back or they would vote against those rights, then what would happen for example if somebody brought in a members’ bill, a piece of legislation to try to roll back on equal marriage?

‘People in our society need to know whoever is going to be their First Minister will stand up for those rights, will advance rights where possible, and make sure that there’s no regression of rights.’

On the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show, he was asked if he was frustrated that the race had ‘already got a bit dirty’.

He said: ‘I think it is frustrating.

‘There have been some issues that have dominated, like the ones that we’ve just been discussing.

‘I’m not saying these issues aren’t important, but a lot of people want to hear from the candidates what we can do to ease the cost-of-living crisis.’

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