Fergus Ewing has thrown his support behind Kate Forbes to become Scotland’s next first minister – making a comparison to his mother’s pivotal role in the SNP.
Former government minister Mr Ewing said that as fellow regional MSPs for the past seven years, he has seen “first-hand” how she had won over constituents and the wider public.
He added that Ms Forbes reminds him of his mother Winnie Ewing, a veteran Scottish nationalist within the party.
The 93-year-old won the Hamilton by-election in 1967 when she was a young mother and became a lead figure within the independence movement.
Mr Ewing has regularly criticised his party’s government in the past year over the dualling of the A9, gender reforms and the deposit return scheme.
Splits within SNP
His backing illustrates the splits within the SNP. Health Secretary Humza Yousaf has positioned himself as the candidate to continue Nicola Sturgeon’s legacy.
It will be welcome news for Ms Forbes after she failed to win the support of Highland MP and former Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, who is backing Mr Yousaf.
Several other MSPs withdrew their support from her campaign after the Highland MSP said she would not have voted in favour of same-sex marriage legislation.
Announcing his support for the Finance Secretary, Mr Ewing said: “Over three decades in Scottish politics, I have rarely, if ever, come across a person who has the qualities Kate possesses, which so well equip her for the top job in Scotland.
“Honesty, bravery, integrity, endless hard work, total commitment to eradication of poverty in Scotland, whilst at the same time working to promote and grow the economy in order to fund our valued public services.
“These are all qualities that people in Scotland will appreciate and come to value. Already her talents and qualities have shone through. I predict that will continue during the campaign.”
Mr Ewing, the Inverness and Nairn MSP, praised the finance secretary’s handling of the “unpleasant and unwarranted attacks” over her personal views which he said were “very well known to every attacker”.
He added this shows she can “cope with the rough, tough and sometimes nasty world that politics has now become”.
Ms Forbes made her first hustings appearance to SNP members on Wednesday in Cumbernauld, alongside Mr Yousaf and fellow leadership hopeful, Ash Regan.
The MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, met with the Glasgow branch of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain on Thursday while on the campaign trail.
Speaking during the visit with daughter Naomi, the SNP leadership candidate said her Scottish Government will “pull out all the stops to support Ukraine in its fight for freedom”.
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