SNP at war as leadership rivals Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes clash AGAIN live on TV

SNP leadership rivals Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes continued their increasingly acrimonious exchange of words in a second live TV debate last night.

Both Mr Yousaf, the Scottish Health Secretary, and Ms Forbes, the Scottish Finance Minister, have once again fought each other in the race for the new SNP leader.

The two are frontrunners in the competition to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as party leader and first minister, while third candidate Ash Regan is seen as an outsider.

In a debate moderated by Channel 4 last night, Mr Yousaf went on to highlight Ms Forbes’ socially conservative views.

He suggested he could not serve under Ms Forbes if she became First Secretary and did not continue Ms Sturgeon’s “progressive” agenda.

Mr Yousaf also snipped that the Tories would “take root” for Ms Forbes to win and pressured the finance minister over her stance on abortion buffer zones.

Humza Yousaf, the Scottish Health Secretary, and Kate Forbes, the Scottish Finance Minister, have once again fought each other in the race for the new SNP leadership

But Ms Forbes, a member of the Free Evangelical Church of Scotland, insisted her religious views would not influence how she would lead as first minister.

She also warned that Mr Yousaf would face “much worse” than their attacks on him if he were elected SNP leader.

Tensions between the two spilled over into yesterday’s debate from Tuesday’s first televised duel, when Ms Forbes waved Mr Yousaf’s ministerial file and suggested he be dismissed from his current health letter.

She had accused her cabinet mate of overseeing failures in the country’s transport, justice and NHS systems during his time as a key member of the Scottish Government.

Last night, Mr Yousaf berated Ms Forbes for “destroying” the SNP’s records and handing them “ammunition” to opponents of the party.

“We will only gain independence, we will only gain support for our cause if we work together as a team,” he said.

“But what unfortunately happened in the last televised debate, Kate, is that you essentially gave our opponents so much ammunition to attack us with.

“Indeed (Scottish Tory leader) Douglas Ross stood at the First Minister’s Questions today and said your words would be on every single Conservative leaflet.

“What you have done is you have given the Conservatives and our opponents material and ammunition to attack and ruin our records.

“They’re not scared of you Kate, they’re cheering you on to win, so your words are on every single flyer.”

Ms Forbes insisted opponents of the SNP “fear” and warned Mr Yousaf: “The future First Minister will have to deal with much worse than we have faced during this competition.

“They have to stand against the British Government, they have to stand against the opposition and they will be accountable to the people of Scotland who want answers and want to see competent delivery of the results.”

Mr Yousaf suggested he could not serve under Ms Forbes if she became First Secretary and did not continue Nicola Sturgeon’s “progressive” agenda

Former Minister Ash Regan – who is seen as an outsider in the SNP leadership contest – presented herself as the candidate who would be the quickest to push for Scottish independence

Mr Yousaf pressured Ms Forbes for her views on abortion, with legislation set to be introduced in Holyrood that would introduce buffer zones outside abortion clinics.

Ms Forbes has repeatedly said she would support the principle of the legislation, but declined to say whether she thought abortion was morally wrong during last night’s debate.

“When Kate was asked that question (about her support for buffer zones) at a recent husting, you said ‘with poise,'” Mr Yousaf said. “What I don’t understand is what you mean by this balance?

“I think it’s right to ask what you mean by this balance, would you allow prayer vigils for example?”

In response, Ms Forbes hit back at Mr Yousaf, saying: “This is an example where we see another candidate trying to poke holes and trying to undermine the honest and solemn pledges I made.

“It boils down to a question of honesty – does Humza take my word for it when I say I will uphold these legal protections and support buffer zones, won’t it?”

Mr Yousaf also hinted he could refuse to be part of the Scottish Government if Ms Forbes became First Minister.

Asked if he could serve a leader who votes on issues according to his religious beliefs, the health secretary said: “I’m unabashedly progressive and we’ve done a good job with our progressive agenda in the SNP.

“If I were asked to sit in government, I would have to feel comfortable that the progressive agenda that has won us so much support in this country – not just for the SNP but for independence – that this is the next step war minister will continue.’

But Ms Forbes insisted her religious beliefs would not influence her leadership.

“It will affect the way I run as much as it affected the way I set my budgets; in other words, not at all,” said the finance minister.

Meanwhile, former Minister Ash Regan posed as the candidate who would be quickest to push for Scottish independence, saying: “This is the time for brave hearts, not the faint of heart.”

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk