Deputy First Minister of Scotland, Kate Forbes, has announced she will step down from politics at next year’s Holyrood elections.

The Christian MSP said it has been an “incredible privilege” to represent Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch since 2016.

In a letter to First Minister John Swinney, she said she did not want to miss any more of the “precious early years of family life”.

“I am in no doubt about the scale of my duties as a local representative, an activist and campaigner, and a government minister,” said Forbes.

"Quite rightly, this job entails long days far from home, constant attention and total dedication. As I consider the upcoming election and the prospects of another term, I have concluded that I do not wish to seek re-election and miss any more of the precious early years of family life."

Swinney praised her for her “invaluable contribution to public life over the last 10 years”.

Forbes ran to replace Nicola Sturgeon as leader of the SNP in 2023, but her Christian views in opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage proved controversial, and she subsequently lost the election to Humza Yousaf, a Muslim.

In 2024, Yousaf himself resigned over ending a power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Greens. However, Forbes decided not to run for a second time, and threw her support behind John Swinney.

The same year, she told the Evangelical Alliance that “Christians should have the confidence to get involved” in politics.

“Scotland benefits deeply from both the outworkings of the Christian worldview, and practically by our members and friends living this out in communities across the nation every single day,” she said. “We care deeply for the welfare of Scotland, its people, its culture and its environment.”

Forbes will remain in her role as Deputy First Minister until the Scottish parliament election, scheduled for May 2026.