In 2025, Kate Forbes declared she would be stepping down from her role as an MSP and would not “seek re-election and miss any more of the precious early years of family life,” with her daughter just turning three.
Despite her recent departure from office, Forbes has now returned to the public eye with her new role as a programme host engaging in high-profile conversations in front of live audiences for True Stories, a live events series launched in March by True North Advisors.
Forbes is a Scottish politician and former MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch. She served as Deputy First Minister of Scotland and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic from 2024 to 2026.
Before the announcement of her new role however, the former MSP was already attracting significant media attention for her controversial appearance as a speaker at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) conference in June.
The ARC is a right-wing populist conference promoting traditional Christian and family values, as well as free market, pro-fossil fuel economics, opposing progressive politics, climate-change regulations, and diversity initiatives.
Other key speakers and attendees included Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, and JD Vance, Vice President of the United States.
This is not a new political turn for Forbes; as an avid member of the Evangelical Church, she has openly declared her stance against gay marriage, abortions and children born out of wedlock.
Despite the backlash to her position, Forbes remains unphased, happy to remain in the political limelight even if it’s not as an MSP.
“Kate Forbes – 53727242856” by Scottish Government is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
