Humza Yousaf admits huge regret over Kate Forbes following bitter SNP contest

Humza Yousaf has suggested he regrets not giving his SNP leadership rival Kate Forbes a more high-profile job.

The former first minister has admitted he was caught off guard by Ms Forbes’ personal attacks during the bitter leadership contest and offered her the rural affairs portfolio after he defeated her.

Kate Forbes and Humza Yousaf during their bitter SNP leadership contest (Picture: Craig Brough/pool/Getty Images)

That was regarded as a demotion for Ms Forbes, now the deputy first minister and economy secretary, who had been finance secretary under Nicola Sturgeon.

After Ms Sturgeon resigned, Mr Yousaf battled for her job with Ms Forbes and Ash Regan.

Read more: SNP finally has a 'spring in its step', says Humza Yousaf - and here's why

Mr Yousaf has now admitted to former Conservative minister Michael Gove on the BBC’s Surviving Politics podcast that he had under-estimated the attacks Ms Forbes, who he had been close to, would throw at him.

He told the podcast that during rehearsals for the first live TV debate of the contest his advisers had told him to expect tough personal questions.

But Mr Yousaf said he had rubbished the fears, saying his response had been: “She’s not going to do that. Kate and I are friends and we go way back."

Humza Yousaf hugs Kate Forbes in the Holyrood main chamber

During the debate Ms Forbes went after Mr Yousaf for his record in government.

She said: “You were a transport minister and the trains were never on time, when you were justice secretary the police were stretched to breaking point, and now as health minister we've got record high waiting times."

Looking back on offering Ms Forbes a job she was unlikely to accept, Mr Yousaf said: “I reflect on this a fair bit and I think ultimately, truth be told, I didn't get it right."

Mr Yousaf said Ms Forbes had told him she would consider taking the job. But the former first minister said that two or three minutes after his defeated rival left the office, a member of his team showed him a report saying Ms Forbes had told him "where to shove it".

Former SNP leadership rivals Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes (Image: PA) | PA

The staff member reportedly told Mr Yousaf: “I think you've got your answer."

Mr Yousaf said he had since reflected on how he could have handled the situation better.

He said: "I think it would have made sense to have spoken more to Kate about, 'well, look, what role do you think you can do, you want to do and it’s seen as enough?'

"I wouldn't suggest rural affairs at all as a demotion, but that's the way it was viewed and portrayed."

Mr Yousaf was forced to quit as first minister in May after he tore up the Bute House Agreement with the Scottish Greens, who were poised to vote against him in a vote of no confidence amid the falling out.

Greens MSP Ross Greer told The Scotsman earlier this month that that he and his colleagues “don’t bear personally animosity towards any individual in the government or towards the SNP as a whole”.

Read more: Inside the Scottish Budget negotiations, as Greens want policies woven into SNP plans

He added: “I still respect Humza Yousaf - I still think Humza’s a fundamentally good man. He made a catastrophic error of judgement and he faced the consequences of that.”

Mr Yousaf told the podcast that he had been in favour of the deal with the Greens when it was drawn up by Ms Sturgeon in 2021, but claimed the deal had deteriorated during his time at the helm.

He said: "Every issue, no matter how kind of nuanced, suddenly became engulfed in controversy and disinformation."