Kate Forbes did not join the race to be SNP leader, but she is still a strong Christian voice in a secular landscape

I seem to land in Scotland at pivotal times in its political life.  I was there a few weeks before the historic independence referendum, while last month, I found myself wandering the Scottish Parliament in what would prove the final fortnight of Humza Yousaf’s tenure as First Minister.

 As a Christian and a British woman, SNP leadership elections intrigue me because they bring Kate Forbes to centre stage. Kate Forbes MSP; former finance secretary, missionaries’ daughter and Free Church of Scotland worshipper who’s unashamed to mix politics and faith. She boldly sets out what Jesus Christ means to her and how he shapes her views.

Jesus calls us to confess his name before men (Matthew 10:32).  Forbes did.

In the 2023 SNP leadership contest, Forbes caused quite a stir by expressing her biblical positions on gay marriage, abortion and the transgender rights movement. In a culture where such positions are routinely suppressed, she took considerable flack, including from next First Minister John Swinney, but she stuck to her guns. Jesus calls us to confess his name before men (Matthew 10:32). Forbes did.

The backlash was unsurprising and reflects the broader trend of Christian persecution. Christians are the most persecuted group worldwide, something you would never glean from mainstream media, which rests woefully silent on the subject. Figures from Open Doors UK suggest that globally 365 million Christians face persecution and discrimination – that’s one in seven believers worldwide.

Christians are the most persecuted group worldwide, something you would never glean from mainstream media, which rests woefully silent on the subject.

In the West, persecution has manifested as being silenced. In a culture that preaches tolerance, Christian views are sidelined and mocked. While the response to Forbes was predictably unfavourable, the outcome of that leadership contest less so. Forbes fared well in the opinion polls and ran a very close second to Humza Yousaf, with 48% of the party vote.

That she has chosen not to run this time, despite that strong showing, is disappointing – particularly when an Ipsos poll ranked her favourite with the Scottish public (with 26% of the support compared with Swinney’s 20%). That being said, John Swinney’s promise of drawing her from the backbenches she’s inhabited since 2023 to a “significant” role in government bodes well. For Kate Forbes is significant for politics. Her voice challenges cultural bias and lets on that not everyone thinks as the liberal media would have us believe.

Forbes’ presence at the top of politics forces mainstream media to air biblical positions on politics and social issues that they would prefer to ignore or pretend that nobody holds. Her voice can open a door for all Christians to speak up in our sphere. It gives us oxygen.

The 2019 general election exposed how a seeming echo chamber can blind the media and politics to what’s being felt at grassroots, convincing them that they are truly representative when they’re out of step. That chamber intimated that people had voted for Brexit on a false prospectus or worse still, because they were uneducated or bigoted. The Conservative Party landslide on a ticket promising to deliver Brexit laid bare that the public was unimpressed. It was the moment a majority who had felt silenced roared and an impenetrable red wall turned blue.

It is precisely this that makes Kate Forbes vital. Many Christians feel they can no longer express their views either with friends or at work – views that were until quite recently mainstream. A strong Christian voice at the heart of politics could help to re-shape the public narrative. To encourage us that we can.

This is not to say that it will be easy. Jesus told us we would face trouble for following him (John 16:33) but he also assured us that he will build his Church and all the powers of hell will not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18).  Among the many things the early Church teaches us is that under persecution, the Church grows.

On my recent visit to Scotland, I was struck by the thriving and dynamic church I encountered in Edinburgh, crossing all generations. It was powerful. These voices, our voices, should be heard. If John Swinney draws Kate Forbes from the backbenches to centre stage, we can look forward to one political presence who ensures that they will.