Kate Forbes Says Motherhood Is Harder Than Politics

Published: 21 November 2025 Friday. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, has admitted that motherhood has proven to be more challenging than serving as Scotland’s deputy first minister. Balancing a demanding political career, a young family, and a lengthy weekly commute to Edinburgh made her decision to step back from politics inevitable.

Speaking to BBC Scotland, Forbes emphasized that nothing, not even the prospect of the top political job, would tempt her to return. “From the very depths of my heart, I have no intentions of coming back to politics,” she said. “I can’t promise you what I will be doing at age 75, but I have no desire to return to frontline politics anytime soon. And I don’t think there is any prize that’s big enough to change my mind.”

Three months ago, the former rising star of the SNP government announced she would not stand in next year’s Scottish election. Since then, she insists she has had no second thoughts, choosing instead to focus on family life.

Forbes resides in her hometown of Dingwall, 168 miles from Edinburgh, making the weekly commute a significant challenge. Coupled with the responsibilities of a young family, she describes managing her ministerial duties as an “exercise in logistical impossibilities.”

Her political career accelerated in February 2020, when she was promoted to finance secretary following Derek Mackay’s resignation. That same month, she made history by becoming the first woman to deliver a Scottish Budget on less than 24 hours’ notice. Forbes continued to break ground when she became the first Scottish minister to take maternity leave in August 2022, welcoming her daughter Naomi into the family.

Already a stepmother to three daughters, Forbes found the return to work after maternity leave particularly difficult. “Every day has felt like an exercise in logistical impossibilities, and we got through it,” she reflected. A summer break with the family ultimately led to her decision to leave politics. “It was like this epiphany—that I didn’t have to. I had choices I could make,” she said.

Despite Holyrood’s claims of being a family-friendly parliament, Forbes highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by female MSPs. In 2021, four women cited family commitments as the reason for not seeking re-election. This year, seven MSPs, all female, are leaving after a single term, raising concerns about young women being forced to choose between public service and family life.

No mother has ever become Scotland’s first minister. Forbes believes it is possible, but only with proper support structures. “Yes—but only with the right support around her,” she said. “Government taking seriously that she may not be able to do commitments before a certain time in the morning. It would need civil service support around her—including recognition that she will need support with her children and her family.”

Kate Forbes’ candid reflections underscore the broader challenges faced by working mothers in politics, highlighting the need for systemic changes to enable women to balance high-profile careers with family life. For Forbes, the choice to prioritize her family has been empowering, marking a new chapter in her life far removed from the pressures of frontline politics.