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Yes and I was proven correct when he bombed in a general election. I have no doubt you could win the leadership of labour with views outside the mainstream. I think they are so uniform on gay marriage this is one that couldn’t get through. I still have a feeling Forbes will win and I still think a move to the right benefit’s labour in Scotland and nationally.

I also wonder if there are moderate DUP types or if the noisy ones just get the attention.

My attitude was they should have gone for a safe pair of hands like Angus, but that can’t happen now. I think all the options left are bad opposition, I don’t see the good opposition option.

I think she is completely unsuitable to be voted in , her views would make it impossible to win the labour leadership. I hoped SNP would go for safe pair of hands, but they have seemingly gone for 3 poor candidates. If the choice is only between poor candidates than may as well pick the poor candidate who will benefit labour the most.

Agreed, come on Forbes. I think it would be great for labour.

In fairness Scotland aren’t winning anything with any combination of Scottish players.

I thought man Utd deserved to win, but they have better players and spent a lot of money to get them, so that’s not a surprise. When I watch Newcastle they generally look solid, but a bit lacking in terms of end product.

She said she supports buffer zones as long as they are targeted and balanced. I wonder what balance she means here?

While that’s the case I don’t think you would get in that position to be sacked in labour, I think you would struggle to even become an MP. A lot of talk about white Christian people being blocked from holding high office, but it’s bollocks. Loads of Christians don’t hold conservative views and would have no issues. Also she hasn’t been blocked from anything, it is up to voters (first SNP and then wider electorate) to make a judgement on these views. I still think there is a decent chance Forbes will win and that will be great news for labour.

While I don’t know if that is true or not. I would maintain that someone as socially conservative as Forbes couldn’t rise as high in labour, I’m undecided if they could in the Tory’s. I’m not sure if I could make a great argument why, but that’s my instinct.

At the end of the day it’s up to SNP members (and if he wins) the electorate of Scotland to pass judgement if they believe him. Unless you are proposing he takes a lie detector test I don’t see the value of asking the same questions to get the same answers. I do think there will be loads of SNP churchgoers who are not as extreme as Kate. Politically I see them centre ground party with bits of everything, similar to the Lib Dems. I do think if their popularity takes a hit labour would be the main beneficiaries and I don’t think that’s a bad thing.

They have asked the man what he thinks and he has said he thinks the mainstream view. Now you can say he is making it up, but if you ask him the question you will get the same answer. I believe if a man had those views and stated them he would be criticised as well. Ian Blackford attended the same church and made the decision not to endorse their views. It’s possible to go to a church and endorse some views and not others.

I don’t think Kate would feel comfortable seeing her without a top, I’m sure that would be against her almighty church as well.

Nicola now weighing in against Forbes without explicitly naming her.

It’s rubbish because Blackford led the party in Westminster attending the church, but showing some critical thinking which views he believed and which not. I have to admit over the years I have felt frustrated that the SNP have pretending to be a left wing party, while I felt in reality they were trying to be different things to different people (similar to Lib Dems in England) and that practice is now biting them on the bum. My only sympathy for Forbes (who’s views i detest) is some in the SNP are acting totally shocked about these views. It was completely obvious from previous statements what her views almost certainly were, why didn’t the people endorsing her get some clarification first? My guess is most of those that endorsed and then changed their mind don’t really care about the views, but have been spooked by the social media backlash, I don’t think they come out of it looking great.

Conversion therapy is a load of bollocks, it’s not real and churches like Kate’s can’t wave a magic wand and stop people being gay, nor is there any issue about being gay. I think when you are talking about people volunteering to undergo this kind of thing we are going down a dangerous route. I agree with Starmer it should be completely banned.

She fobbed the question off and said she didn’t believe in coercion multiple times.

At the end of the day Humza has answered the question and given the mainstream answer, at the end of the day you may not believe his answer, but if you keep asking the question he will just give the same answer. Unless you want him to take a lie detector test there isn’t much of a story. I’m not sure this is a sexism thing. I don’t think a man would get a free pass on these views in a leadership election to a party claiming to be left wing.

LJS and Kate being caught having an affair would be the story of 2023 for me!

Barry neither you or LJS have a chance with Kate, no way is she looking for an alternative outside her marriage!

I agree, anyone who has any affinity for Scotland (I do) wants some level of competency and Humza seems a complete lightweight who may just win by default. I wonder if one will see the shit show and step up.

I think the big difference here is that labour are (as far as I know) not promoting politician’s with these values to high profile offices and as well as questioning Forbes values you need to question Sturgeons judgement, these views have not come as a huge surprise to anyone. I have checked and 22 labour MPs voted against gay marriage in 2014, I suspect the number would be lower now. I hadn’t heard of most of them (a lot probably not MPs now) but I don’t think any hold high profile roles in labour shadow cabinet. My view is you couldn’t get promoted to the level of Forbes in Labour in 2023 with those views, happy to criticise any labour MP in that position if that changes.

However her views could influence her leadership and these questions need to be asked. If you ask I’m obsessed then I will hold my hands up to an obsession related to the principles of equality which I am sure you share. Minorities need politicians like Forbes to stand up for them. The answer to a question about conversion therapy is about as easy as you can get, there is no magic wand to stop people being gay, neither is it an issue someone being gay. As the labour leader Starmer says it should be banned full stop. She is not getting abuse, although it should be noted she is trying to make out she is the one being discriminated against, not the gay couples who she believes their relationships don’t have the same value as hers.

Just watched another car crash interview with Forbes about conversion therapy where she can’t give a straight answer and keeps talking about coercion. I take it she means that those poorly gays who have feel shamed and broken down should be able to go to her amazing church and learn not to be gay anymore and be pure like her. This homophonic bigot should be removed from the SNP government not just the leadership election. I just couldn’t see anyone with these views being promoted to such a lofty position by labour in 2023.

I mean when someone in that type of church fobs off questions about gay marriage, you can make a strong assumption what they think. I think she could have probably got away with saying she wouldn’t have voted in 2015, but she has evolved her views following its implementation. The truth is she believes gay people shouldn’t have the same rights as “normal” people like her. While she may not try to ban gay marriage (not that the votes are there anyway) it’s reasonable to question this part of her character and her character will influence her leadership.