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During the 2023 leadership contest, Yousaf defended his decision<\/a> to miss the final vote on Scotland’s equal marriage legislation after it was claimed he had arranged a meeting as cover.<\/p>\n Yousaf insisted he had an “unavoidable” engagement about a death row prisoner in Pakistan, adding: “I support equal marriage. I supported it then, support it now.”<\/p>\n Asked earlier this week if he would have attended the ARC event, First Minister John Swinney replied: “I certainly wouldn’t speak at a conference like that because I’m going to have nothing to do with Reform.”<\/p>\n In response to a separate question about political disquiet, Forbes said that “politicians have pretended to be able to deliver utopia for too long”.<\/p>\n Talking about the multiple referendums parts of the UK had faced in recent years, she said that each vote had left half of the population “scunnered and angry” and the other half disappointed when “they didn’t se the milk and honey flowing”. <\/p>\n The SNP declined to comment on Forbes’ claims, but pointed out that Swinney had led recent pride marches in Edinburgh.<\/p>\n Forbes, Yousaf and Anderson have been approached for comment. <\/p>\n First elected in 2016, Forbes enjoyed a rapid rise to become Scotland’s first female finance secretary in 2020.<\/p>\n She returned to the backbenches after losing out to Yousaf in 2023, but considered another tilt at the leadership the following year. <\/p>\n Ultimately she agreed to back Swinney and was appointed as his deputy.<\/p>\n However, she did not stand for re-election at May’s Holyrood election, citing family commitments<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n