Unless you’re a well-seasoned DIYer, repairing or replacing a roof is best left to the professionals.

The lifespan of your roof will vary depending on the roofing material and your local climate. All of these factors will also impact when and how often your roof will need repaired or replaced.

Roofing Services in San Francisco

Regardless of the roofing company in San Francisco that you choose, most will offer a lot of the same services, including:

• Roof inspections that identify:
• Repairs and maintenance
• Shingle and tile repair
• Installation or replacement
• Insulating
• Weatherproofing
• Flashing repair
• Ventilating
• Soffit and fascia repair
• Debris removal
• Roof cleaning (pressure washing away moss, mold, mildew and buildup)
• Sealing, treating or painting (especially for wood or metal roofs)
• Skylight repair or replacement
• Solar panel installation

While these are the typical services offered, you should speak directly to each company that you’re considering to get a full list of the exact services that they offer. On average, you can expect to pay between $78 to $116 for labor alone for most roofing projects.

If you’re already planning a roof repair or replacement project, you should have your gutters checked simultaneously. While there are pros that tackle gutter-specific projects, most roofers can handle this work as well, in addition to some siding and window projects. Before you decide which pro you’ll hire, ask all prospective roofing companies if they offer additional services outside of just roofing, and consider bundling roofing projects with others your pro offers to save time and money.

Signs You Need Roof Repair

If your roof needs repair, a few things—such as pest damage—will clue you in. According to a recent Forbes Home survey, 50% of homeowners experienced home damage caused by pests. Additionally, if you see interior or exterior damage or find sunlight leaking in through unintentional holes in the roof, you may need to schedule a repair.

The following types of roof damage are other things to look out for, as they may signal the need for repairs.

Natural Damage

Nature can often cause all types of damage to your roof. Broken tree branches, moderate winds and routine rainstorms are common, though, so most roofing materials should be able to withstand them. However, when more extreme weather conditions arise, it’s best to have a professional check your roof for damages.

Installation Issues

When you’re able to see extensive amounts of tar covering the flashing directly after a roof installation or repair, it’s highly likely that the job was done poorly. You may also need to check for kick-out flashing that’s missing from the bottom or dormer wall intersections. The good news is most skilled roofing contractors can add the missing components so you don’t have to buy a new roof.

Leaks

While roof leaks are bad, finding the leak in question can be even more challenging. And houses with flat or pitched roofs are more prone to leaks than others because the material they’re made of (typically tar, rubber or plastic) degrades faster than other surfaces like stone or clay.

Improper Ventilation

Homes with poor ventilation may experience more roofing problems. And you’ll know you have a ventilation problem if there’s condensation anywhere in your attic, under your roof or elsewhere. It’s helpful to also monitor your attic for delaminating (separating of layers) plywood. When the temperature rises in spring and summer, you may notice that the higher floors in your home won’t stay cool. If that’s the case, your attic may benefit from additional venting. A professional can help fix the problem and determine whether you need a repair or an entirely new vent system.

Trust The Experienced Roofers For Your Home And Business

If you need to reroof your home or office or if you need a new roof itself, choose the top-rated roofing services for reliable work and optimal results.

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Meet the latest additions to Forbes’ ranking of America’s richest people.

By Sarah Young, Contributor

It got harder to make The Forbes 400 ranking of America’s richest people this year, with the minimum net worth required to make the list hitting a record-tying $2.9 billion. Yet, despite the high bar, 18 people amassed fortunes big enough to earn a spot among this elite group for the first time.

The most famous face to join the 400 this year: Michael Jordan, the first pro athlete ever to appear in these ranks. The basketball great earned some $90 million over his playing career, but it’s his off-court moves that land him among the wealthiest Americans. For decades he has gotten a cut of every Jordan-branded sneaker, shirt or sock Nike sells—enough to bring him $260 million in estimated (pretax) income over the past year alone. Big bucks have also come from the Charlotte Hornets. In August, Jordan sold a majority stake in the NBA team at a $3 billion valuation, 17 times what it was worth when he became lead owner in 2010.

The richest of all newcomers is Elisabeth DeLuca (worth an estimated $8.2 billion), widow of Subway founder Fred DeLuca (d. 2015). In August, private equity firm Roark Capital struck a deal to acquire the sandwich giant in a deal reported to be worth more than $9 billion—which could put an estimated $3.4 billion after taxes into the pockets of DeLuca, who inherited half the business upon her husband’s 2015 death, according to Forbes’ reporting.

The youngest newcomer this year is 38-year-old Josh Kushner. The son of real estate developer Charles Kushner and younger brother of Jared Kushner, who served as senior advisor to his father-in-law President Donald Trump, he’s the first member of his clan to make The Forbes 400. For that, he can thank Thrive Capital, the venture capital firm he founded in 2010 at age 25. An early backer of startups like Instagram, Spotify and Slack, Thrive raised $175 million in January at a $5.3 billion valuation.

Seven of this year’s new Forbes 400 listees hail from the world of finance and investments, the most of any industry. Besides Kushner, there are Seth Boro, Scott Crabill and Holden Spaht – three partners of private equity firm Thoma Bravo, who are worth an estimated $3.3 billion apiece; investor Rajiv Jain ($3.1 billion), who made a gutsy gamble on Adani Group in March; early Berkshire Hathaway backer Stewart Horejsi ($3 billion); and insurance magnate J. Hyatt Brown ($2.9 billion).

Others found their fortunes elsewhere. William Goldring ($6 billion) got rich from alcohol; his Sazerac Company owns the Buffalo Trace Distillery and produces Fireball Cinnamon Whisky. Power couple Eren Ozmen ($3.4 billion) and Fatih Ozmen ($3.3 billion) made their money in aerospace. There are now two Forbes 400 members in Mississippi: James and Thomas Duff ($3 billion each), who co-own tire retailer Southern Tire Mart and own several other businesses through their Duff Capital Investors holding company. Only two newcomers to this year’s list hail from the tech industry: Sanjit Biswas ($3.6 billion) and John Bicket ($3.5 billion) of San Francisco-based software company Samsara, which went public in 2021.

HERE ARE THE 18 NEW MEMBERS OF THE FORBES 400

NET WORTHS ARE AS OF SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

Elisabeth DeLuca & family

Net worth: $8.2 billion | Age: 76 | Source of wealth: Subway

The widow of Subway cofounder Fred DeLuca, Elizabeth DeLuca inherited half of the sandwich company upon his death in 2015. In August, Roark Capital agreed to buy the chain in a deal reported to be worth more than $9 billion.

Annette Lerner & family

Net worth: $6.5 billion | Age: 93 | Source of wealth: Real estate

In 1952, she lent her husband, Ted, $250 to create Lerner Enterprises, a D.C.-based real estate company. Following his death in February, Lerner and her children are now credited with his fortune, which includes a portfolio of Washington, D.C.-area real estate and the Washington Nationals baseball team.

William Goldring & family

Net worth: $6 billion | Age: 80 | Source of wealth: Alcohol

The Louisiana-native is the chairman of the Sazerac Company, an alcoholic beverage producer which owns the Buffalo Trace Distillery and the Fireball Cinnamon Whisky brand.

Steve Jennings/Getty Images for TechCrunch

Sanjit Biswas

Net worth: $3.6 billion | Age: 41 | Source of wealth: Sensor systems

A former teenage engineer at Oracle, his Samsara offers tools like AI dash cams, realtime driver coaching and route mapping for customers such as oil field servicer Liberty Energy, moving company PODS and plumbing giant Roto-Rooter.

Josh Kushner

Net worth: $3.6 billion | Age: 38 | Source of wealth: Venture capital

The youngest newcomer this year, Kushner launched VC firm Thrive Capital in 2010. The son of real estate developer Charles Kushner and brother-in-law of Ivanka Trump, he’s married to supermodel Karlie Kloss.

John Bicket

Net worth: $3.5 billion | Age: 43 | Source of wealth: Sensor systems

He cofounded Samsara alongside Biswas, who he met at MIT as a graduate student in computer science.

Eren Ozmen

Net worth: $3.4 billion | Age: 65 | Source of wealth: Aerospace

Ozmen, a Turkish immigrant, put herself through business school with an office-cleaning job and selling baklava. Her Sierra Space is gearing up to launch Dream Chaser, the only spacecraft now capable of landing on a commercial runway, in the upcoming year.

Seth Boro

Net worth: $3.3 billion | Age: 48 | Source of wealth: Private equity

Scott Crabill

Net worth: $3.3 billion | Age: 53 | Source of wealth: Private equity

Holden Spaht

Net worth: $3.3 billion | Age: 49 | Source of wealth: Private equity

The trio are managing partners at Thoma Bravo, a private equity firm with over $120 billion in assets. Company namesakes Carl Thoma and Orlando Bravo are also members of The Forbes 400.

Fatih Ozmen

Net worth: $3.3 billion | Age: 65 | Source of wealth: Aerospace

Fatih Ozmen is CEO of Sierra Nevada Corporation, which he co-owns with his wife Eren Ozmen.

Rajiv Jain

Net worth: $3.1 billion | Age: 55 | Source of wealth: Finance

After coming to the U.S. from India in the early 1990s for an MBA at the University of Miami, Jain worked at Swiss asset manager Vontobel for nearly 22 years. He cofounded GQG Partners in 2016. The firm, which is listed in Australia, has $107 billion in assets under management. GQG placed a big contrarian bet on embattled Indian conglomerate Adani Group, investing more than $6 billion after a short seller accused the firm of fraud and stock market manipulation in January. (Adani denied the allegations.)

Geoffrey Palmer

Net worth: $3.1 billion | Age: 73 | Source of wealth: Real estate

A Los Angeles-based developer, Palmer made a multibillion-dollar fortune building luxury residential buildings in southern California.

James Duff

Net worth: $3 billion | Age: 62 | Source of wealth: Tires, diversified

Thomas Duff

Net worth: $3 billion | Age: 66 | Source of wealth: Tires, diversified

The Duff brothers run tire retailer Southern Tire Mart, and Duff Capital Investors, whose investments include trucking company KLLM, construction firm T.L. Wallace Construction and energy firm DeepWell Energy Services.

Stewart Horejsi & family

Net worth: $3 billion | Age: 86 | Source of wealth: Berkshire Hathaway

Using profits from his family’s Kansas-based welding supply company, Horejsi began buying Berkshire Hathaway stock in 1980, when the price was as low as $295 per share. Berkshire’s class A stock now trades north of $500,000.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images

Michael Jordan

Net worth: $3 billion | Age: 60 | Source of wealth: Charlotte Hornets, endorsements

The basketball great notched one of the biggest wins of his business career in August, when he sold a majority stake in the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets at a $3 billion valuation, 17 times what it was worth when he became lead owner in 2010. Meanwhile, he’s still cashing royalty checks from every Jordan-branded sneaker, shirt or sock Nike sells—enough to bring him $260 million in estimated (pretax) income over the past year, nearly triple the roughly $90 million he made over his 16-year playing career.

J. Hyatt Brown

Net worth: $2.9 billion | Age: 86 | Source of wealth: Insurance

His Brown & Brown is the fifth largest insurance brokerage in the U.S.. He chairs the firm, which his father cofounded in 1939.

MORE FROM FORBES

MORE FROM FORBESThe 2023 Forbes 400 List Of Richest Americans: Facts And FiguresBy Chase Peterson-WithornMORE FROM FORBESThe 2023 Forbes 400: The 20 Richest People In AmericaBy Devin Sean MartinMORE FROM FORBESThe Youngest Billionaires On The 2023 Forbes 400 ListBy Savannah BornMORE FROM FORBESDonald Trump, Sam Bankman-Fried And The Snapchat Founders: Here’s Who Fell Off The 2023 Forbes 400 List Of Richest AmericansBy Richard J. ChangMORE FROM FORBESThe Richest American Tech Billionaires In 2023By Phoebe Liu

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Only 1% of The Forbes 400 is under 40, the lowest percentage in at least two decades.

By Savannah Born, Contributor

It’s hard to make the ranks of America’s very richest at any age, but it’s especially challenging for anyone under 40. Just look at the members of The Forbes 400 list of the wealthiest people in the U.S., who are 70 years old on average. Even those who do make fortunes early can’t always hold onto them.

That helps explain why there are only four Forbes 400 members under the age of 40, down from ten a year ago, as four drop out and another three age up. It’s the lowest number of under-40 billionaires on the list in at least two decades. They make up just 1% of the list.

Walmart heir Lukas Walton is now the youngest of all, at age 37. He inherited billions after his father, John Walton, died in a 2005 plane crash. Last year, Walton was only the fifth-youngest member on the list. Since then, Snapchat cofounders Bobby Murphy (age 35) and Evan Spiegel (33) have dropped from the ranks, as shares of Snap Inc. have fallen, and crypto moguls Sam Bankman-Fried (31) and Gary Wang (30) have gone down in flames, cratering from billionaires to basically bankrupt following the November 2022 collapse of their crypto exchange FTX and ensuing criminal fraud and conspiracy charges against them. Wang—who pleaded guilty to several wire fraud, commodities fraud and securities fraud charges in December—is now cooperating with prosecutors in their case against Bankman-Fried, who has maintained his innocence.

The other under-40 list members include 38-year-old newcomer Josh Kushner, Ivanka Trump’s brother-in-law, who hails from a New York real estate dynasty but built his fortune in venture capital; and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Asana’s Dustin Moskovitz. The two former Harvard roommates and Facebook cofounders, who debuted on the list at age 24 and 26, respectively, are both 39.

Altogether, the 11 youngest members on this year’s list are all 42 or younger, yet boast net worths of at least $3.6 billion—$700 million more than the $2.9 billion minimum needed to make the cut. In all, they’re worth a combined $196 billion.

Here are the 11 youngest members of the 2023 Forbes 400 list, from oldest to youngest.

Net worths are as of September 8, 2023

11. Joe Gebbia

Age: 42 | Net Worth: $8.9 billion | Source of wealth: Airbnb

10. Brian Chesky

Age: 42 | Net Worth: $10 billion | Source of wealth: Airbnb

Broke and facing rising San Francisco rents, roommates Chesky and Gebbia bought an air bed for their apartment and began renting it out in 2007. They turned the business into rental platform Airbnb, which has listings in more than 220 countries and has welcomed more than 1.5 billion guests. Shares of the $8.4 billion (2022 revenue) company are up 28% since last year’s list, making Chesky, who is CEO, and Gebbia, who chairs nonprofit arm Airbnb.org, each more than $1 billion richer. Cofounder Nathan Blecharczyk, who is two years younger, is up by nearly $2 billion.

9. Sanjit Biswas

Age: 41 | Net Worth: $3.6 billion | Source of wealth: Sensor systems

Samsara, which he cofounded eight years ago, offers tools like AI dash cams, real-time driver coaching and route mapping for customers such as oil field servicer Liberty Energy, moving company PODS and plumbing giant Roto-Rooter. In July, annual recurring revenue hit $930 million, up 40% year over year, helping drive the stock up 160% in 2023. CEO Biswas, the precocious son of Indian immigrants, was hired as an engineer at Oracle at age 15 and met cofounder and CTO John Bicket (who is 43) while pursuing a computer science Ph.D. at MIT.

Ethan Pine for Forbes

8. Lynsi Snyder

Age: 41 | Net Worth: $6.7 billion | Source of wealth: In-N-Out Burger

The In-N-Out heiress became a billionaire on her 35th birthday, in 2017, when she received the final portion of her stock in the beloved West Coast fast-food chain. Due to a complex trust created by her grandparents, who founded In-N-Out in 1948, she gradually received stakes in the business over the course of a decade. She ended up with 97% of the $1.8 billion (estimated 2022 revenue) chain, which she has run as president since 2010.

7. Scott Duncan

Age: 40 | Net Worth: $7.4 billion | Source of wealth: Pipelines

Duncan was 27 when he became a billionaire, following the death of his father, Texas oil tycoon Dan Duncan, in 2010. Duncan and his three siblings inherited stakes in Houston-based energy and pipeline company Enterprise Products Partners; Scott and two of his sisters aren’t involved in the business, while sister Randa Duncan Williams serves as non-executive chairman.

Getty Images

6. Brian Armstrong

Age: 40 | Net Worth: $3.7 billion | Source of wealth: Cryptocurrency

A former Airbnb software engineer, Armstrong cofounded cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase in 2012, at age 29. He took it public in 2021, briefly hitting a peak market capitalization of just over $100 billion before the crypto winter set in. The stock is up 26% since last year’s list, as the crypto market has begun to rebound, making Armstrong $1 billion richer.

5. Nathan Blecharczyk

Age: 40 | Net Worth: $9.5 billion | Source of wealth: Airbnb

The youngest of the Airbnb cofounder trio, Blecharczyk—Gebbia’s former roommate—helped launch the business as chief technology officer, coding its first website. Known around Airbnb as the “head of all things technical,” he pioneered the company’s engineering, data science, payment and marketing teams. Blecharczyk is also active on his app: He and his wife have hosted hundreds of Airbnb guests at their San Francisco home.

4. Mark Zuckerberg

Age: 39 | Net Worth: $106 billion | Source of wealth: Facebook

Last year, a collapsing share price, significant fourth-quarter layoffs and crumbling profits slashed Zuckerberg’s net worth by more than half. Luckily for him, 2023 is a different story: Meta stock is up by 86% since the 2022 Forbes 400, helping make Zuck $48.3 billion richer and, once again, a member of the 12-digit club.

3. Dustin Moskovitz

Age: 39 | Net Worth: $12.2 billion | Source of wealth: Facebook

A 19-year-old Moskovitz cofounded Facebook with Zuckerberg, his eight-days-younger roommate, from their Harvard dorm. He left Facebook after four years to cofound Asana, a work management software company with clients like NASA, Google and AT&T. Moskovitz, who is still a shareholder of Facebook-parent company Meta, is $4.1 billion richer this year thanks to the 86% climb in Meta’s stock price.

Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

2. Josh Kushner

Age: 38 | Net Worth: $3.6 billion | Source of wealth: Venture capital

Kushner’s family is famous for their real estate dynasty (his father Charles built a property empire before pleading guilty to tax evasion, illegal campaign contributions and witness tampering charges in 2004) and their political connections (Josh’s brother Jared is married to Ivanka Trump; Charles was pardoned by Trump in 2020). But he has stepped into the limelight—and out of his family’s shadows—as a venture capitalist. His Thrive Capital, which he founded in 2010 at age 25, raised money from investors including Disney CEO Bob Iger and billionaire KKR cofounder Henry Kravis, at a $5.3 billion valuation in January. Thrive’s wins include investments in Instagram, Spotify and Slack. He married supermodel Karlie Kloss in 2018.

1. Lukas Walton

Age: 37 | Net Worth: $24.2 billion | Source of wealth: Walmart

The youngest member of The Forbes 400, Walton quietly inherited a fortune after his father, John Walton, died in a plane crash in 2005. The grandson of Walmart cofounder Sam Walton, Lukas does not work for the $611 billion (2023 fiscal sales) retailing giant. Instead, he invests in businesses tackling environmental and social challenges through a company called Builders Vision. He chairs the environment program committee of his family’s Walton Family Foundation, which reported net assets of nearly $5.6 billion at the end of 2021.

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By Chris Matthews and Madeleine Ross

23:24 20 Feb 2023, updated 00:19 21 Feb 2023

SNP frontrunner Kate Forbes called trans double rapist Isla Bryson ‘a man’ as she revealed she wouldn’t have voted for gay marriage a decade ago. 

The lead candidate for First Minister, the 32-year-old politician has been vocal about her concerns about the Scottish government’s controversial gender self-ID laws.  

Ms Forbes said: ‘No rapist can be a woman. Isla Bryson is a man,’ in an interview yesterday as she signalled that she wouldn’t continue legal action against the Westminster veto of the Scottish gender self-ID law. 

Questions of gender identity have haunted the final weeks of Nicola Sturgeon’s leadership as she repeatedly stumbled over questions about the double rapist’s sex. 

The finance secretary, 32, who is known to hold socially conservative views, also said in an interview that she would not have backed the legislation to make gay marriage legal but would have ‘respected and defended the democratic choice that was made’. 

SNP lead candidate Kate Forbes (pictured) said she would have voted against gay marriage in Scotland at the time it was made legal almost a decade ago Isla Bryson – formerly known as Andrew Graham – pictured outside court in Glasgow in January. Nicola Sturgeon has dodged questions about the convicted rapist’s gender identity

The Telegraph reported that the frontrunner said the gender legislation was ‘not a priority right now’ for Scotland, distancing herself from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. 

‘I would be strongly minded not to proceed with that court challenge [against Westminster], subject to legal advice and so on. 

Read more: How outgoing leader’s ruthless ambition brought Scotland to the brink of independence before a series of scandals

‘I would much rather engage in discussion with the UK Government about the amendments that need to be made than proceed with the challenge.’

Ms Forbes previously said she would not have voted for the Scottish Government’s Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill in its current form. 

As she was on maternity leave, she did not participate in the final vote before the new year, but has been clear on her opposition since 2019.

She was one of 15 SNP politicians who publicly called on her party to delay the controversial proposals which make it easier for transgender people to self-identify as their chosen gender. 

She said: ‘My concerns about self-ID have been well documented and I would have continued to have those concerns about self-ID. 

‘It’s very difficult to talk hypothetically when it comes to a Bill but I think I would have struggled to support that self-ID element of the Gender Recognition Act.’ 

However, if she had voted against it, she would have been required to leave her position as Finance Secretary.

The comments come as Ms Forbes yesterday made clear her stance on gay marriage, as her religion and socially conservative views cause concern with some SNP voters. 

Equal marriage was made legal in Scotland in 2014 with an overwhelming majority of 105 votes to 18, while Ms Forbes was not elected to Holyrood until the 2016 election. 

Nicola Sturgeon dropped the bombshell that she is quitting last week, after a torrid spell where the SNP slid into chaos over its abortive bid to loosen gender identity rules and dwindling support for independence Humza Yousaf, 37, (pictured) is the Scottish Government’s health secretary, who became Scotland’s first Muslim Cabinet minister in 2018, when he was appointed justice secretary

Who is Humza Yousaf? 

Humza Yousaf, 37, is the Scottish Government’s health secretary, who became Scotland’s first Muslim Cabinet minister in 2018, when he was appointed justice secretary.

He has been MSP for Glasgow Pollok since 2016, having previously been elected to the Scottish Parliament as an additional member for the Glasgow region in 2011 at the age of just 26.

Despite being tipped as a possible replacement for Ms Sturgeon as First Minister, Mr Yousaf’s chances could be harmed by the current health crisis in Scotland.

He has come under particular pressure over long waiting times for ambulances and emergency care.

Mr Yousaf has a daughter and a stepchild with his second wife Nadia El-Nakla. 

Talking to The Scotsman, Ms Forbes, who has been on maternity leave and away from frontline politics since early summer last year, said she would not have supported equal marriage as a ‘matter of conscience’ if she had been a member of parliament at the time.

She cited the example of Angela Merkel as a leader who voted on the matter ‘with her conscience’.

She said: ‘I would have voted, as a matter of conscience, along the lines of mainstream teaching in most major religions that marriage is between a man and a woman. 

‘But I would have respected and defended the democratic choice that was made. 

‘It is a legal right now and I am a servant of democracy, I am not a dictator.’ 

After giving her views on gay marriage, the Scottish Health Secretary and SNP leadership candidate Humza Yousaf, 37, said in an interview that he would not legislate on the basis of his faith. 

Speaking on Tonight with Andrew Marr on LBC on Monday, Mr Yousaf said: ‘I’m a supporter of equal marriage. 

‘Let me get to the crux of the issue that you’re asking me. I’m a Muslim. I’m somebody who’s proud of my faith. 

‘I’ll be fasting during Ramadan in a few weeks’ time. 

‘But what I don’t do is, I don’t use my faith as a basis of legislation. 

‘What I do as a representative, as a leader, as a Member of the Scottish Parliament is my job is to bring forward policy and pursue it in the best interest of the country.’

Ms Forbes also condemned the ‘illiberal discourse’ around her faith and how her religious views could impact her decisions as First Minister. 

She is a member of the Free Church of Scotland and had previously said her faith did not impact her ability to serve as an MSP. 

Scottish finance secretary Kate Forbes swiped at the need to ‘widen’ the SNP’s appeal as she confirmed she is a candidate

She said: ‘It is quite an illiberal discourse. 

‘Because if we get into the territory of suggesting that anyone who holds public office is to be barred to people of faith, then it sends a very bad signal to the countless people of faith and no faith in Scotland today.’ 

Earlier, Ms Forbes committed to ensuring women are free from harassment and fear around abortion clinics following a plea from campaigners. 

She said women should not ‘be subjected to fear and harassment’ when attending clinics across the country. 

It comes as campaigners Back Off Scotland wrote to Ms Forbes – and her opponents in the leadership race Mr Yousaf and Ash Regan – to ask for support in implementing 150-metre safe access zones around hospitals administering abortions. 

She said: ‘I would say that I certainly don’t think that women going for an abortion should be subjected to fear and harassment. 

‘And so, I’d be willing to work with Gillian Mackay who is introducing the Bill.’

Who is SNP leadership contender Kate Forbes?

Kate Forbes is a leading member of Ms Sturgeon’s administration who is being tipped as the favourite to replace her.

The fluent Gaelic speaker became the Scottish government’s finance secretary in February 2020, the first woman to hold the post.

Kate Forbes married Alasdair MacLennan – a widower chimney sweep 10 years her senior – in July 2021.

Her husband, known as Ali, had three daughters – Rachael, Rebekah and Zara – with his Indian first wife Priya. She died in 2014, aged just 38.

Ms Forbes, 32, went on maternity leave last July – the first ever serving Scottish Cabinet secretary to do so – and gave birth to her daughter Naomi in August.

The daughter of missionaries, Ms Forbes spent much of her childhood in India.

She is a member of the Free Church of Scotland, sometimes known as the ‘Wee Frees’, which is opposed to gay marriage and believes there are few circumstances in which abortion is justified.

Ms Sturgeon’s government was accused of rushing through its controversial gender identity reforms before Christmas, while Ms Forbes remained on maternity leave, in order to prevent a potential revolt by the 32-year-old. 

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By James Tapsfield, Political Editor For Mailonline

09:10 21 Feb 2023, updated 11:39 21 Feb 2023

SNP hopeful Kate Forbes today apologised for causing ‘pain or hurt’ by saying she would not have voted for gay marriage. 

The Scottish Finance Minister asked for ‘forgiveness’ as she desperately tries to save her bid to succeed Nicola Sturgeon.

Ms Forbes had been regarded as the front runner – but appears to have crashed within hours of formally declaring her intentions, with allies admitting she has ‘f***ed it up’. 

The meltdown leaves Health Secretary Humza Yousaf as the favourite to take over from Ms Sturgeon. 

Ms Forbes, a member of the Free Church of Scotland who cut short maternity leave to join the contest, faced a backlash after insisting that she views marriage as between a man and a woman.

The 32-year-old said she would have voted against same-sex marriage if she had been an MSP at the time, but stressed she would defend people’s rights under the law as it stands. 

A series of MSPs announced they were dropping their support afterwards, along with Westminster MP Drew Hendry. But in a round of interviews this morning, Ms Forbes denied her campaign was effectively over, and said she had not intended to offend anyone.

‘I regret enormously the pain or hurt that has been caused because that was neither my intention, and I would seek forgiveness if that is how it’s come across,’ she told Times Radio.

‘I regret enormously the pain or hurt that has been caused because that was neither my intention, and I would seek forgiveness if that is how it’s come across.’

Ms Forbes added that she defends the rights of LGBT+ people to live ‘free of harassment, fear and prejudice’.

However, on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme Ms Forbes reiterated that she would have opposed same-sex marriage. She compared her position to that of Angela Merkel, who agreed to a vote on the issue, opposed the change, but then implemented the will of the German Parliament. 

SNP lead candidate Kate Forbes (pictured yesterday) said she would have voted against gay marriage in Scotland at the time it was made legal almost a decade ago The meltdown leaves Health Secretary Humza Yousaf as the favourite to take over from Ms Sturgeon

Challenged on the BBC that her campaign was all-but finished, Ms Forbes said: ‘Absolutely not. We have a large party membership, most of whom are not on Twitter.

‘I understand people have very strong views on these matters. I think the public are longing for politicians to answer straight questions with straight answers and that’s certainly what I’ve tried to do in the media yesterday. That doesn’t necessarily allow for much nuance.

‘My position on these matters is that I will defend to the hilt everybody’s rights in a pluralistic and tolerant society, to live and to love free of harassment and fear.’

Equal marriage was made legal in Scotland in 2014 with an overwhelming majority of 105 votes to 18, while Ms Forbes was not elected to Holyrood until the 2016 election. 

Ms Forbes previously said she would not have voted for the Scottish Government’s Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill in its current form. 

As she was on maternity leave, she did not participate in the final vote before the new year, but has been clear on her opposition since 2019.

She was one of 15 SNP politicians who publicly called on her party to delay the controversial proposals which make it easier for transgender people to self-identify as their chosen gender. 

She said: ‘My concerns about self-ID have been well documented and I would have continued to have those concerns about self-ID. 

Read more: How outgoing leader’s ruthless ambition brought Scotland to the brink of independence before a series of scandals

‘It’s very difficult to talk hypothetically when it comes to a Bill but I think I would have struggled to support that self-ID element of the Gender Recognition Act.’ 

However, if she had voted against it, she would have been required to leave her position as Finance Secretary.

In another controversial intervention, Ms Forbes said the convicted transgender rapist who was initially placed in a female jail ‘is a man’.

Ms Sturgeon previously dodged questions over whether Isla Bryson, formerly known as Adam Graham, is a woman after the 31-year-old was found guilty of two sex attacks.

But speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Mrs Forbes said unequivocally that ‘no rapist can be a woman’ and that ‘Isla Bryson is a man’.

Mrs Forbes also accused her opponents of attacking her over her Christian beliefs ‘rather than competence, experience or vision’.

She said: ‘We need to be very careful that we are not saying in Scotland that you cannot hold public office, even the highest public office, if you are a member of a particular faith.

‘Or, you can hold public office, but you actually need to strip your faith out. That seems to me a very illiberal approach.

She added: ‘My approach is I’ve been open about faith, the influence of faith in my life.

‘But we appear to be able to have a Hindu in Number 10, is it beyond the pale to think we might have a Christian in Bute House?’

‘I would much rather engage in discussion with the UK Government about the amendments that need to be made than proceed with the challenge.’

Nicola Sturgeon dropped the bombshell that she is quitting last week, after a torrid spell where the SNP slid into chaos over its abortive bid to loosen gender identity rules and dwindling support for independence Isla Bryson – formerly known as Andrew Graham – pictured outside court in Glasgow in January

Who is Humza Yousaf? 

Humza Yousaf, 37, is the Scottish Government’s health secretary, who became Scotland’s first Muslim Cabinet minister in 2018, when he was appointed justice secretary.

He has been MSP for Glasgow Pollok since 2016, having previously been elected to the Scottish Parliament as an additional member for the Glasgow region in 2011 at the age of just 26.

Despite being tipped as a possible replacement for Ms Sturgeon as First Minister, Mr Yousaf’s chances could be harmed by the current health crisis in Scotland.

He has come under particular pressure over long waiting times for ambulances and emergency care.

Mr Yousaf has a daughter and a stepchild with his second wife Nadia El-Nakla. 

Talking to The Scotsman, Ms Forbes, who has been on maternity leave and away from frontline politics since early summer last year, said she would not have supported equal marriage as a ‘matter of conscience’ if she had been a member of parliament at the time.

She cited the example of Angela Merkel as a leader who voted on the matter ‘with her conscience’.

She said: ‘I would have voted, as a matter of conscience, along the lines of mainstream teaching in most major religions that marriage is between a man and a woman. 

‘But I would have respected and defended the democratic choice that was made. 

‘It is a legal right now and I am a servant of democracy, I am not a dictator.’ 

Ms Forbes also condemned the ‘illiberal discourse’ around her faith and how her religious views could impact her decisions as First Minister. 

She is a member of the Free Church of Scotland and had previously said her faith did not impact her ability to serve as an MSP. 

Mr Yousaf said he will ‘always fight for the equal rights of others’.

Asked what he thought of what Ms Forbes had to say on same sex marriage, Mr Yousaf told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme: ‘It’s for her to defend her views, I’ve made my views very clear.

‘I think my track record on equality issues speaks loud and clear.

‘I’m a minority in this country, I have been my entire life and my rights don’t exist in some kind of vacuum, my rights are interdependent on other people’s rights and therefore I believe very firmly, in fact with every fibre in my being, that your equality is my equality, therefore I’ll always fight for the equal rights of others regardless of who they are.’

Scottish finance secretary Kate Forbes swiped at the need to ‘widen’ the SNP’s appeal as she confirmed she is a candidate

Who is SNP leadership contender Kate Forbes?

Kate Forbes is a leading member of Ms Sturgeon’s administration who is being tipped as the favourite to replace her.

The fluent Gaelic speaker became the Scottish government’s finance secretary in February 2020, the first woman to hold the post.

Kate Forbes married Alasdair MacLennan – a widower chimney sweep 10 years her senior – in July 2021.

Her husband, known as Ali, had three daughters – Rachael, Rebekah and Zara – with his Indian first wife Priya. She died in 2014, aged just 38.

Ms Forbes, 32, went on maternity leave last July – the first ever serving Scottish Cabinet secretary to do so – and gave birth to her daughter Naomi in August.

The daughter of missionaries, Ms Forbes spent much of her childhood in India.

She is a member of the Free Church of Scotland, sometimes known as the ‘Wee Frees’, which is opposed to gay marriage and believes there are few circumstances in which abortion is justified.

Ms Sturgeon’s government was accused of rushing through its controversial gender identity reforms before Christmas, while Ms Forbes remained on maternity leave, in order to prevent a potential revolt by the 32-year-old. 

The post SNP hopeful Kate Forbes struggles to save lots of bid to succeed Nicola Sturgeon appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Von David Wilcock, stellvertretender politischer Redakteur und James Tapsfield, politischer Redakteur bei Mailonline

18:26 21. Februar 2023, aktualisiert 01:42 22. Februar 2023

Kate Forbes deutete an, dass sie heute Opfer „illiberaler“ Angriffe auf ihre religiösen Ansichten wurde, als ihre Kampagne, Schottlands erste Ministerin zu werden, wegen ihrer harten sozialen Haltung am Rande der Katastrophe stand.

Die SNP befindet sich heute Abend in einer Kernschmelze, nachdem die Spitzenreiterin der Führung trotzig ihre frommen christlichen Ansichten zu Themen von der Homo-Ehe bis zur Geschlechtsidentität zur Schau gestellt hat.

Die schottische Finanzministerin, 32, bestand darauf, dass Sex vor der Ehe und uneheliche Kinder in einem außergewöhnlichen 24-Stunden-Gemetzel, das ihre Bewerbung um die Nachfolge von Nicola Sturgeon im Wasser liegen gelassen zu haben, „falsch“ sei.

Es kam, nachdem sie zuvor bestätigt hatte, dass sie die gleichgeschlechtliche Ehe in Kommentaren ablehnte, die LGBT-Schotten wütend machten.

Sie bestand darauf, dass sie nicht die Absicht habe, ihre Ansichten anderen „aufzuzwingen“, und dass es „illiberal“ sei, Menschen mit „ziemlich Mainstream“-religiösen Ansichten als „jenseits“ zu behandeln.

Aber Verbündete geben zu, dass Frau Forbes es „vermasselt“ hat, wobei SNP-Aktivisten als die sozial liberalsten gelten.

Frau Forbes, ein Mitglied der Free Church of Scotland, könnte sogar mit einer internen SNP-Disziplinaruntersuchung konfrontiert werden, nachdem sie ITV Border gesagt hat: „Ich glaube, dass eine Transfrau ein biologischer Mann ist, der sich als Frau identifiziert.“

Die Parteiregeln legen nahe, dass die Bezeichnung von Transfrauen als „biologische Männer“ als transphob eingestuft werden kann.

Die Kandidatin der SNP-Führung, Kate Forbes (heute abgebildet), sagte, sie hätte gegen die Homo-Ehe in Schottland gestimmt, als sie vor fast einem Jahrzehnt legalisiert wurde. Die Kernschmelze lässt Gesundheitsministerin Humza Yousaf als Favoritin zurück, die Frau Sturgeon Nicola Sturgeon (im Bild) übernimmt bei einem Besuch in Midlothian gestern) ließ die Bombe platzen, die sie letzte Woche aufgibt, nach einer heißen Phase, in der die SNP wegen ihres fehlgeschlagenen Versuchs, die Regeln zur Geschlechtsidentität zu lockern, und ihrer schwindenden Unterstützung für Unabhängigkeit ins Chaos geriet

Die Mutter eines Kindes – die ihren Mutterschaftsurlaub verkürzte, um am Wettbewerb teilzunehmen – zuckte jedoch die Kehrtwendungen einer Reihe von zuvor unterstützenden MSPs ab.

Die MSP schien heute Nachmittag anzuerkennen, dass ihre Ambitionen vereitelt werden könnten, und sagte, ihre Kampagne werde „im Moment“ fortgesetzt.

Inmitten einer Reihe von Angriffen im Laufe des Tages forderte die SNP-Abgeordnete Joanna Cherry, die mit den religiösen Ansichten von Frau Forbes nicht einverstanden ist, hochrangige Persönlichkeiten auf, „die Hunde abzurufen“, und sagte, der „Fressrausch sei ungehörig und schlecht für die Partei“.

Das bröckelnde Führungsangebot lässt Gesundheitsministerin Humza Yousaf als Favoritin für die Übernahme von Frau Sturgeon zurück – hat aber auch die massive Kluft im Herzen der Partei hervorgehoben.

Frau Forbes sah bereits in Schwierigkeiten aus, nachdem sie über Nacht zugegeben hatte, dass sie gegen die Homo-Ehe gestimmt hätte.

Und heute Nachmittag sagte sie Sky News, dass es „etwas ist, das ich vermeiden würde“, außereheliche Kinder zu haben.

„In Bezug auf meinen Glauben würde mein Glaube sagen, dass Kinder – er sagt, dass Sex für die Ehe ist. Das ist der Ansatz, den ich praktizieren würde “, sagte sie.

Frau Forbes bestand darauf, dass es kein Thema sei, über das sie „aufgeregt“ sei, und schlug vor, dass sie „meine Ansichten anderen Menschen nicht aufzwingen“ würde, und sie „akzeptiere“ Familie und Freunde, die diese „Entscheidungen“ getroffen haben.

Aber auf die Frage, ob es falsch sei, außereheliche Kinder zu haben, antwortete sie: „Für mich wäre es nach meinem Glauben falsch.“

Frau Forbes sagte: „In einer liberalen Gesellschaft können Sie koexistieren und diese Debatten und Diskussionen führen“, sagte sie. „Ich denke, es hat eine faszinierende Frage im Herzen des schottischen politischen Diskurses ans Licht gebracht, nämlich: Was bedeutet Liberalismus?

„Sind wir so illiberal geworden, dass wir diese Diskussionen nicht führen können, oder sind einige Leute über den Rand gestolpert? Denn wenn einige Leute über das Blasse hinaus sind, dann sind dies dunkle und gefährliche Tage für Schottland.

“Ich denke, diese Kampagne wird das hervorheben.”

Die SNP-Politikerin sah sich zunächst einer Gegenreaktion gegenüber, nachdem sie darauf bestanden hatte, dass sie die Ehe als zwischen einem Mann und einer Frau betrachtet.

Sie sagte, sie hätte gegen die gleichgeschlechtliche Ehe gestimmt, wenn sie damals MSP gewesen wäre, betonte jedoch, dass sie die Rechte der Menschen nach geltendem Recht verteidigen werde.

Frau Forbes sprach heute Morgen im Times Radio und versuchte, die Folgen zu glätten.

„Ich bereue den Schmerz oder die Verletzung, die mir zugefügt wurde, sehr, denn das war auch nicht meine Absicht, und ich würde um Vergebung bitten, wenn es so rüberkommt“, sagte sie.

Frau Forbes fügte hinzu, dass sie die Rechte von LGBT+-Personen verteidige, „frei von Belästigung, Angst und Vorurteilen“ zu leben.

Sie verglich ihre Haltung mit der von Angela Merkel, die einer Abstimmung über das Thema zustimmte, sich gegen die Änderung aussprach, dann aber den Willen des Deutschen Bundestages umsetzte.

Lesen Sie mehr: Wie der rücksichtslose Ehrgeiz des scheidenden Führers Schottland vor einer Reihe von Skandalen an den Rand der Unabhängigkeit brachte

„Meine Position in diesen Angelegenheiten ist, dass ich das Recht aller in einer pluralistischen und toleranten Gesellschaft, frei von Belästigung und Angst zu leben und zu lieben, nach Kräften verteidigen werde“, sagte sie.

„Und auf die gleiche Weise hoffe ich, dass anderen das Recht von Menschen des Glaubens gewährt werden kann, einen fairen Mainstream-Unterricht zu praktizieren. Und das ist die Nuance, die wir bei der gleichberechtigten Ehe einfangen müssen.“

Herausgefordert, dass ihre Kampagne so gut wie beendet war, sagte Frau Forbes: „Absolut nicht. Wir haben eine große Parteimitgliedschaft, von denen die meisten nicht auf Twitter sind.

„Ich verstehe, dass die Leute sehr starke Ansichten zu diesen Angelegenheiten haben. Ich denke, die Öffentlichkeit sehnt sich danach, dass Politiker klare Fragen mit klaren Antworten beantworten, und das habe ich gestern in den Medien versucht. Das lässt nicht unbedingt viele Nuancen zu.

“Meine Position in diesen Angelegenheiten ist, dass ich in einer pluralistischen und toleranten Gesellschaft die Rechte aller Menschen, frei von Belästigung und Angst zu leben und zu lieben, mit Nachdruck verteidigen werde.”

Die gleichberechtigte Ehe wurde 2014 in Schottland mit einer überwältigenden Mehrheit von 105 zu 18 Stimmen legalisiert, während Frau Forbes erst bei den Wahlen 2016 in Holyrood gewählt wurde.

Frau Forbes sagte zuvor, sie hätte nicht für das Gesetz zur Reform der Geschlechtsanerkennung (Schottland) der schottischen Regierung in seiner jetzigen Form gestimmt.

Da sie sich in Elternzeit befand, nahm sie vor dem neuen Jahr nicht an der Schlussabstimmung teil, ist aber seit 2019 klar dagegen.

Sie war eine von 15 SNP-Politikern, die ihre Partei öffentlich aufforderten, die umstrittenen Vorschläge zu verschieben, die es Transgender-Personen erleichtern, sich selbst als ihr gewähltes Geschlecht zu identifizieren.

Sie sagte: „Meine Bedenken hinsichtlich der Selbstidentifikation waren gut dokumentiert, und ich hätte diese Bedenken hinsichtlich der Selbstidentifikation weiterhin gehabt.

„Es ist sehr schwierig, hypothetisch zu sprechen, wenn es um einen Gesetzentwurf geht, aber ich glaube, ich hätte Mühe gehabt, dieses Selbstidentifizierungselement des Gesetzes zur Anerkennung des Geschlechts zu unterstützen.“

Hätte sie dagegen gestimmt, hätte sie ihre Position als Finanzministerin aufgeben müssen.

In einer weiteren umstrittenen Intervention sagte Frau Forbes, der verurteilte Transgender-Vergewaltiger, der ursprünglich in ein Frauengefängnis gebracht wurde, sei „ein Mann“.

Frau Sturgeon wich zuvor Fragen aus, ob Isla Bryson, früher bekannt als Adam Graham, eine Frau ist, nachdem die 31-Jährige zweier sexueller Angriffe für schuldig befunden worden war.

Aber im Gespräch mit dem Daily Telegraph sagte Frau Forbes unmissverständlich, dass „kein Vergewaltiger eine Frau sein kann“ und dass „Isla Bryson ein Mann ist“.

Frau Forbes beschuldigte ihre Gegner auch, sie wegen ihres christlichen Glaubens angegriffen zu haben, „und nicht wegen ihrer Kompetenz, Erfahrung oder Vision“.

Sie sagte: „Wir müssen sehr vorsichtig sein, dass wir in Schottland nicht sagen, dass Sie kein öffentliches Amt bekleiden können, selbst das höchste öffentliche Amt, wenn Sie Mitglied eines bestimmten Glaubens sind.

„Oder Sie können ein öffentliches Amt bekleiden, aber Sie müssen tatsächlich Ihren Glauben abstreifen. Das scheint mir ein sehr illiberaler Ansatz zu sein.

Sie fügte hinzu: „Mein Ansatz ist, dass ich offen mit dem Glauben umgegangen bin, dem Einfluss des Glaubens auf mein Leben.

“Aber wir scheinen in der Lage zu sein, einen Hindu in Nummer 10 zu haben, ist es übertrieben zu glauben, dass wir einen Christen in Bute House haben könnten?”

“Ich würde viel lieber mit der britischen Regierung über die Änderungen diskutieren, die vorgenommen werden müssen, als mit der Herausforderung fortzufahren.”

Isla Bryson – früher bekannt als Andrew Graham – wurde im Januar vor Gericht in Glasgow abgebildet

Wer ist Humza Yousaf?

Humza Yousaf, 37, ist der Gesundheitsminister der schottischen Regierung, der 2018 Schottlands erster muslimischer Kabinettsminister wurde, als er zum Justizminister ernannt wurde.

Er ist seit 2016 MSP für Glasgow Pollok, nachdem er bereits 2011 im Alter von nur 26 Jahren als zusätzliches Mitglied für die Region Glasgow in das schottische Parlament gewählt worden war.

Obwohl er als möglicher Ersatz für Frau Sturgeon als Erste Ministerin vorgeschlagen wurde, könnten die Chancen von Herrn Yousaf durch die aktuelle Gesundheitskrise in Schottland beeinträchtigt werden.

Besonders unter Druck geraten sind die langen Wartezeiten auf Krankenwagen und Notfallversorgung.

Herr Yousaf hat mit seiner zweiten Frau Nadia El-Nakla eine Tochter und ein Stiefkind.

Im Gespräch mit The Scotsman sagte Frau Forbes, die sich seit Frühsommer letzten Jahres im Mutterschaftsurlaub und von der Frontpolitik ferngehalten hat, dass sie die gleichberechtigte Ehe nicht als „Gewissenssache“ unterstützt hätte, wenn sie Abgeordnete im Parlament gewesen wäre Zeit.

Sie führte das Beispiel von Angela Merkel als einer Führungspersönlichkeit an, die über die Angelegenheit „mit ihrem Gewissen“ abgestimmt habe.

Sie sagte: „Ich hätte aus Gewissensgründen für die Lehre der meisten großen Religionen gestimmt, dass die Ehe zwischen Mann und Frau besteht.

„Aber ich hätte die getroffene demokratische Entscheidung respektiert und verteidigt.

“Es ist jetzt ein legales Recht und ich bin ein Diener der Demokratie, ich bin kein Diktator.”

Frau Forbes verurteilte auch den „illiberalen Diskurs“ um ihren Glauben und wie ihre religiösen Ansichten ihre Entscheidungen als Erste Ministerin beeinflussen könnten.

Sie ist Mitglied der Free Church of Scotland und hatte zuvor gesagt, ihr Glaube habe keinen Einfluss auf ihre Fähigkeit, als MSP zu dienen.

Herr Yousaf sagte, er werde „immer für die Gleichberechtigung anderer kämpfen“.

Auf die Frage, was er davon halte, was Frau Forbes zur gleichgeschlechtlichen Ehe zu sagen habe, sagte Herr Yousaf gegenüber der Sendung Good Morning Scotland von BBC Radio Scotland: „Es ist ihre Sache, ihre Ansichten zu verteidigen, ich habe meine Ansichten sehr klar zum Ausdruck gebracht.

„Ich denke, meine Erfolgsbilanz in Gleichstellungsfragen spricht eine klare und deutliche Sprache.

„Ich bin eine Minderheit in diesem Land, ich war mein ganzes Leben lang eine Minderheit, und meine Rechte existieren nicht in einem Vakuum, meine Rechte hängen von den Rechten anderer Menschen ab, und deshalb glaube ich sehr fest daran, und zwar mit jeder Faser mein Wesen, dass deine Gleichheit meine Gleichheit ist, deshalb werde ich immer für die Gleichberechtigung anderer kämpfen, egal wer sie sind.’

Die schottische Finanzministerin Kate Forbes kritisierte die Notwendigkeit, die Attraktivität der SNP zu „erweitern“, als sie bestätigte, dass sie kandidiert

Wer ist die Anwärterin auf die SNP-Führung, Kate Forbes?

Kate Forbes ist ein führendes Mitglied der Verwaltung von Frau Sturgeon, die als Favoritin für ihren Ersatz gehandelt wird.

Die fließend Gälisch sprechende Sprecherin wurde im Februar 2020 Finanzministerin der schottischen Regierung, die erste Frau in diesem Amt.

Kate Forbes heiratete im Juli 2021 Alasdair MacLennan – einen verwitweten Schornsteinfeger, der zehn Jahre älter war als sie.

Ihr Ehemann, bekannt als Ali, hatte drei Töchter – Rachael, Rebekah und Zara – mit seiner indischen ersten Frau Priya. Sie starb 2014 im Alter von nur 38 Jahren.

Frau Forbes, 32, ging im vergangenen Juli in den Mutterschaftsurlaub – die erste amtierende schottische Kabinettssekretärin überhaupt – und brachte im August ihre Tochter Naomi zur Welt.

Als Tochter von Missionaren verbrachte Frau Forbes einen Großteil ihrer Kindheit in Indien.

Sie ist Mitglied der Free Church of Scotland, manchmal auch als „Wee Frees“ bekannt, die gegen die Homo-Ehe ist und glaubt, dass es nur wenige Umstände gibt, unter denen eine Abtreibung gerechtfertigt ist.

Die Regierung von Frau Sturgeon wurde beschuldigt, ihre umstrittenen Reformen zur Geschlechtsidentität vor Weihnachten durchgezogen zu haben, während Frau Forbes im Mutterschaftsurlaub blieb, um eine mögliche Revolte der 32-Jährigen zu verhindern.

The post SNP’s Kate Forbes blasts ‘intolerant’ assaults after opposing extramarital intercourse and homosexual marriage appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

By Jonathan Brocklebank for the Scottish Daily Mail

13:14 February 21, 2023, updated 15:51 February 21, 2023

She was smart, articulate, and—remarkably given her youth and the sheepish tendencies of many of her peers—a woman of her own. The problem with Kate Forbes, from the perspective of her allies, was her apparent lack of ambition.

When asked in 2020 if she was interested in the top job, she replied that she was “absolutely” not.

When the question came up again the following year, she was just as firm — and more explicit about why it definitely wasn’t for her. “The more I see the job up close,” she said, “the less appealing it is.”

So that’s it. The brightest rising star in the nationalist movement had no interest in replacing Nicola Sturgeon, especially in a political arena she felt “felt more toxic than ever.”

She had just married Ali – Alasdair MacLennan, a chimney sweep ten years her senior, and was adjusting to life as a parent to his three teenage daughters.

Kate Forbes (pictured here in the Scottish Parliament building) is entirely her own wife, writes Jonathan Brocklebank

She became pregnant shortly afterwards and took maternity leave in July last year as the Scottish Government’s first cabinet secretary.

Daughter Naomi is only six months old now.

Just in case Miss Forbes still had an ounce of doubt about keeping her name out of any leadership race, Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation speech could have been almost tailor-made to sweep her away.

Life as First Minister is “relentlessly” hard, she said, and “giving absolutely everything of yourself to this job is the only way to do it”. There is “virtually no privacy” and “a First Minister is never off duty”.

And yet, in her first public statement since Miss Sturgeon resigned on Wednesday, there was a slightly different assessment of the desirability of the post the SNP leader is vacating.

“We need a leader who is bold, courageous and energetic, with a fresh face and ready for new challenges,” explained Miss Forbes in a slick video posted to social media.

“I am that leader.”

Whether the Dingwall-born former chartered accountant is a leader at all remains to be seen. But it’s already emerging that she’s the candidate who will represent the biggest cultural shift since the Sturgeon era.

The pair are far from each other on almost everything except the independence goal itself. Regarding abortion, one of them is pro-choice, the other pro-life. One is for gender reform, the other against. One is a bright social progressive, the other a social conservative. One speaks of hating the Tories and the other of loving Jesus.

One is a lowland city dweller with an equally compact inner-city constituency, the other a highland countryman whose territory spans thousands of square miles.

If Humza Yousaf considers herself Nicola Sturgeon’s continuity candidate, Miss Forbes is certainly the screeching halt in her predecessor’s direction of travel. The gaping chasm between them is the fault line that runs right through their group.

In short, the newest entrant to the leadership race is the Sturgeonistas’ worst nightmare. Would she overthrow the party to the right? Break Parliament from its commitments to gender reform? Maybe even work constructively with the Tories in Westminster?

Hear the SNP’s obviously nervous Mhairi Black about the prospect of a new party leader who deviates from the hard left’s agenda of the last eight years: “Any attempt to move to the right would destroy the main motivation for many activists, the doors open,” she called.

“If you take that reason away, you won’t find anyone under the age of 35 willing to deliver your leaflets very quickly.”

Well, Miss Forbes is 32 – and handing out leaflets is where it all started for her at SNP.

When she first began helping with local party campaigns, she had spent several of her childhood years in India, where her parents were missionaries.

Fluent in Gaelic and a member of the Free Church of Scotland, she made no attempt to downplay her from the start of her political journey.

“To be honest, I believe in the person of Jesus Christ,” she explained in 2021. “I believe that he died for me, he saved me and that my calling is to serve and love him and me to serve and love his neighbors with all your heart and soul and mind and strength. Politics will pass. I am a person before I became a politician and that person will continue to believe that I am made in the image of God.’

In a party whose statements by members often appear interchangeable, this was anything but usual.

This politician could obviously imagine things that were more fundamental to her than independence.

From Dingwall Academy she went not to a Scottish university, as aspiring SNP politicians almost always do, but to Cambridge University to study history.

The newest entrant to the race for the lead is the Sturgeonistas’ worst nightmare

Upon returning to Scotland, she completed an MSc at the University of Edinburgh in diaspora and migration history – subjects dear to her heart after learning how the Highland Clearances drove her ancestors from the Applecross Peninsula in Wester Ross.

She later studied to be an accountant and spent two years with banking giant Barclays.

She then became an assistant to MSP David Thomson before – almost by accident – at the age of just 26 she landed on the spot he vacated in 2016.

Despite many urging her to run, she said, “I looked at myself and thought, ‘Too young, too immature, too little life experience’.”

The fact that she was back in her childhood bedroom at the family home in Dingwall only seemed to underscore her youth.

But she prevailed, increasing the SNP’s majority in the constituency of Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch – and she remained in the family home for months after her election.

Her real coming of age in politics, however, came at age 29, when she was asked at the very last minute to deliver the SNP budget after Treasury Secretary Derek Mackay, it turned out, resigned out of favor, according to News to a Teenage Schoolboy.

It seemed like an impossible question. It was 7 a.m. on the day of the testimony when the call came from Miss Sturgeon’s office. Miss Forbes had to go through 283 pages of budget plans before she could deliver it.

She recalled, “In that moment, you don’t have the luxury of thinking too hard about what you’re asking of you, you just do it.” And she did it with more aplomb than the shamed Mr. Mackay had ever mustered.

From that day on she was traded as a possible successor to Miss Sturgeon. In fact, the party leader is said to have privately admitted that of all the possible candidates for her successor, Miss Forbes was the most talented.

Less than two weeks after taking office, she was appointed Treasury Secretary, becoming the youngest person ever appointed to the role and the first cabinet secretary born in the 1990s.

However, the intervention that Miss Forbes made last year was less remembered.

She was one of three government ministers to sign a letter raising concerns about the potential impact on women of allowing people to self-identify their gender and urging the Scottish Government to delay its controversial gender reforms .

Ash Regan, who is also challenging for the SNP leadership, was another.

In January last year, Miss Forbes confirmed that her position on the matter was unchanged and expressed fears that the Gender Recognition Reform Act (Scotland) could be a “bad law”.

If not for her maternity leave, she would have had to either vote for this “bad law” or leave her government post, as Miss Regan did last year.

Perhaps, by Miss Sturgeon’s reckoning, that same maternity leave would put Miss Forbes out of the leadership race if she snapped it up fast enough.

If that was the plan, it surely failed.

The next-generation ‘fresh’ candidate has Bute House in her sights – and should she get there, her predecessor’s legacy could be the first to be shredded.

The post Why Kate Forbes represents the largest cultural shift from the Nicola Sturgeon period appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

By James Tapsfield, Political Editor at Mailonline

11:09 February 20, 2023, updated 15:50 February 20, 2023

• Race is to be succeeded by Nicola Sturgeon as head of the SNP and first minister
• Kate Forbes, who has long been talked about as a potential successor, announced today

The battle to succeed Nicola Sturgeon intensified today as Kate Forbes cut her maternity leave to throw her hat in the ring.

The Scottish Finance Minister, seen by many as a front-runner, has attacked the outgoing leader as she said the SNP needed a “broader” appeal and someone “fresh-faced”.

In a video shared on social media showing footage of the stunning Scottish countryside, a tartan-clad woman gave Forbes a nod to the apparently stalled Separatist campaign north of the border.

She warned that nationalists risked “being frustrated on the road to self-determination” and said she had the “vision, experience and competence to inspire voters across Scotland”.

“We urgently need to unleash the full talent of the SNP, the broader yes movement and the country as a whole,” she said.

Ms Forbes was hot-tipped despite concerns her ties to an anti-gay marriage and anti-abortion evangelical church could be harmful.

Constitutional Secretary Angus Robertson confirmed this morning that he will not run for the party’s top post.

Scottish Finance Minister Kate Forbes lamented the need to “broaden” the SNP’s appeal as she confirmed she is a candidate in a slick video by Kate Forbes Nicola Sturgeon

Ms Sturgeon dropped the bombshell she was dropping last week after a heated spell that saw the SNP thrown into chaos over its failed attempt to relax gender identity rules and dwindling support for independence.

Visiting the Roslin Institute in Midlothian today, minutes before Ms Forbes’ statement, she expressed “tremendous confidence that the SNP will select someone with ability”.

“It’s clear that there’s a spectrum of talent on display there.”

Appearing in the video against a backdrop of the Scottish countryside and with a tartan scarf around her neck, Ms Forbes said: “Friends in the SNP, our nation and our movement are at an important crossroads. The decisions we make over the next few weeks will have a profound impact on our future and the future of our children.

“I cannot sit back and watch as our nation is thwarted on the road to self-determination. Our small independent neighbors are enjoying more prosperous, fairer and greener societies, and so should we.

“We urgently need to unleash the full talent of the SNP, the broader yes movement and the country as a whole.

Who is the contender for the SNP leadership, Kate Forbes?

Kate Forbes is a senior member of Ms Sturgeon’s administration, who is being tipped as the favorite to replace her.

The fluent Gaelic speaker became Finance Minister in the Scottish Government in February 2020, the first woman to hold the post.

Kate Forbes married Alasdair MacLennan – a widowed chimney sweep ten years her senior – in July 2021.

Their wedding was streamed online because Covid restrictions limited the number of people who could attend.

The 32-year-old went on maternity leave last July – becoming the first acting Scottish Cabinet Secretary ever – and gave birth to their daughter Naomi in August.

It was previously believed that Ms Forbes harbored no leadership ambitions, although she has been touted as a future SNP leader since entering the Scottish Parliament as MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch in 2016.

The daughter of missionaries, Mrs. Forbes spent much of her childhood in India.

She is a member of the Free Church of Scotland, sometimes known as the ‘Wee Frees’, which opposes gay marriage and believes there are few circumstances in which an abortion is justified.

Ms Forbes has previously said she was “guilty” of “tiptoeing around” her Christian faith in interviews.

Ms Sturgeon’s government has been accused of rushing through its controversial gender identity reforms ahead of Christmas while Ms Forbes stayed on maternity leave to prevent a possible revolt by the 32-year-old.

“We must elect strong, competent leadership to ensure independence, the leadership that I can offer.

“I think we need someone who can unite our party and our movement. I am a unifier, I will reach out and listen to make each member feel valued and empowered to contribute.

“This is also important if we want to convince others of the merits of independence. But now we also need someone who has our economy and our finances under control.

“In the midst of a cost of living crisis and the need to plan for independence, my years of managing the household and economy of Scotland have given me the experience we need to do just that.

“More than anything, we need a leader who is bold, courageous and energetic, with fresh faces and ready for new challenges.

“Someone who will inspire your confidence as an SNP member and inspire the people of Scotland to vote for a better future

“I am that leader and I want to lead our party to better days with integrity and commitment for the sake of your children and mine.”

Health Minister Humza Yousaf and former community security minister Ash Regan clashed over three major policy issues – independence, gender reform and road building – yesterday as they confirmed their decision to enter the competition.

Mr Yousaf also appeared to enlist the support of many of Ms Sturgeon’s key allies while an information campaign was launched against Ms Forbes.

There are claims the Scottish Greens could pull out of their current power-sharing arrangement in Holyrood if Ms Forbes takes over.

The 32-year-old is a member of the Free Church of Scotland, sometimes known as the ‘Wee Frees’, which opposes gay marriage and believes there are few circumstances in which an abortion is justified.

SNP Deputy Leader Keith Brown, Environment Secretary Mairi McAllan and Culture Secretary Neil Gray all confirmed yesterday that they would not run.

As the dispute escalated, former Health Secretary Jeane Freeman urged those who informed each other to stop fighting or risk losing support.

Business Secretary Ivan McKee said an announcement from the “enormously talented” Ms Forbes could be expected later.

He told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland program: “Kate has some big decisions to make, of course this happened during her maternity leave, she had no intention of returning until early April and as we all know the announcements last week were for everyone a surprise.

“So Kate has had to assess her position and understand what can be done, but I understand she has considered that and will make an announcement later today and we’ll see what she has to say.”

Mr McKee said he would support Ms Forbes if she decided to run.

He said: “I think Kate is an extremely talented person. I have had the pleasure of working with her over the past seven years and seeing first hand what she can achieve, her focus on what matters to Scotland and her ability to connect with people in Scotland on a very real and authentic level to get in touch and convince them of their case.

Scottish Health Secretary Humza Yousaf is running for the SNP’s top post

‘And I think these talents to deliver excellent public services, a strong economy, a green economy for Scotland and to convince people of the SNP and independence are exactly the assets we need in a leader.’

Ms Forbes has long been considered a potential successor to the First Minister.

She was thrust into the spotlight when she had to step in at the eleventh hour and deliver the Scottish household in 2020 after her predecessor Derek Mackay fell out of favor.

Candidates have until Friday to secure 100 nominations from at least 20 local branches to secure their spot on the ballot, with the new SNP leader being announced on March 27.

The post Who’s Kate Forbes? Meet the SNP management hopeful backed to succeed Nicola Sturgeon appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Von James Tapsfield, politischer Redakteur bei Mailonline

13:10 21. Februar 2023, aktualisiert 17:57 21. Februar 2023

Die SNP befindet sich heute Abend in einer Kernschmelze, nachdem Kate Forbes, Spitzenreiterin der Führung, trotzig ihre frommen christlichen Ansichten zu Themen von der Homo-Ehe bis zur Geschlechtsidentität zur Schau gestellt hat.

Die schottische Finanzministerin bestand darauf, dass Sex vor der Ehe und uneheliche Kinder „falsch“ seien in einem außergewöhnlichen 24-Stunden-Gemetzel, das ihre Bewerbung um die Nachfolge von Nicola Sturgeon anscheinend im Stich gelassen hat.

Die Verbündeten geben zu, dass Frau Forbes es „vermasselt“ hat, wobei SNP-Aktivisten als die sozial liberalsten gelten.

Frau Forbes, ein Mitglied der Free Church of Scotland, könnte sogar mit einer internen SNP-Disziplinaruntersuchung konfrontiert werden, nachdem sie ITV Border gesagt hat: „Ich glaube, dass eine Transfrau ein biologischer Mann ist, der sich als Frau identifiziert.“

Die Parteiregeln legen nahe, dass die Bezeichnung von Transfrauen als „biologische Männer“ als transphob eingestuft werden kann.

Die 32-Jährige, die ihren Mutterschaftsurlaub verkürzte, um an dem Wettbewerb teilzunehmen, zuckte jedoch die Kehrtwendungen einer Reihe zuvor unterstützender MSPs ab.

Sie bestand darauf, dass sie nicht die Absicht habe, ihre Ansichten anderen „aufzuzwingen“, und dass es „illiberal“ sei, Menschen mit „ziemlich Mainstream“-religiösen Ansichten als „jenseits“ zu behandeln.

Die MSP schien heute Nachmittag anzuerkennen, dass ihre Ambitionen vereitelt werden könnten, und sagte, ihre Kampagne werde „im Moment“ fortgesetzt.

Inmitten einer Reihe von Angriffen im Laufe des Tages forderte die SNP-Abgeordnete Joanna Cherry, die mit den religiösen Ansichten von Frau Forbes nicht einverstanden ist, hochrangige Persönlichkeiten auf, „die Hunde abzurufen“, und sagte, der „Fressrausch sei ungehörig und schlecht für die Partei“.

Das bröckelnde Führungsangebot lässt Gesundheitsministerin Humza Yousaf als Favoritin für die Übernahme von Frau Sturgeon zurück – hat aber auch die massive Kluft im Herzen der Partei hervorgehoben.

Die Kandidatin der SNP-Führung, Kate Forbes (heute abgebildet), sagte, sie hätte gegen die Homo-Ehe in Schottland gestimmt, als sie vor fast einem Jahrzehnt legalisiert wurde. Die Kernschmelze lässt Gesundheitsministerin Humza Yousaf als Favoritin zurück, die Frau Sturgeon Nicola Sturgeon (im Bild) übernimmt bei einem Besuch in Midlothian gestern) ließ die Bombe platzen, die sie letzte Woche aufgibt, nach einer heißen Phase, in der die SNP wegen ihres fehlgeschlagenen Versuchs, die Regeln zur Geschlechtsidentität zu lockern, und ihrer schwindenden Unterstützung für Unabhängigkeit ins Chaos geriet

Frau Forbes sah bereits in Schwierigkeiten aus, nachdem sie über Nacht zugegeben hatte, dass sie gegen die Homo-Ehe gestimmt hätte.

Und heute Nachmittag sagte sie Sky News, dass es „etwas ist, das ich vermeiden würde“, außereheliche Kinder zu haben.

„In Bezug auf meinen Glauben würde mein Glaube sagen, dass Kinder – er sagt, dass Sex für die Ehe ist. Das ist der Ansatz, den ich praktizieren würde “, sagte sie.

Frau Forbes bestand darauf, dass es kein Thema sei, über das sie „aufgeregt“ sei, und schlug vor, dass sie „meine Ansichten anderen Menschen nicht aufzwingen“ würde, und sie „akzeptiere“ Familie und Freunde, die diese „Entscheidungen“ getroffen haben.

Aber auf die Frage, ob es falsch sei, außereheliche Kinder zu haben, antwortete sie: „Für mich wäre es nach meinem Glauben falsch.“

Frau Forbes sagte: „In einer liberalen Gesellschaft können Sie koexistieren und diese Debatten und Diskussionen führen“, sagte sie. „Ich denke, es hat eine faszinierende Frage im Herzen des schottischen politischen Diskurses ans Licht gebracht, nämlich: Was bedeutet Liberalismus?

„Sind wir so illiberal geworden, dass wir diese Diskussionen nicht führen können, oder sind einige Leute über den Rand gestolpert? Denn wenn einige Leute über das Blasse hinaus sind, dann sind dies dunkle und gefährliche Tage für Schottland.

“Ich denke, diese Kampagne wird das hervorheben.”

Die SNP-Politikerin sah sich zunächst einer Gegenreaktion gegenüber, nachdem sie darauf bestanden hatte, dass sie die Ehe als zwischen einem Mann und einer Frau betrachtet.

Sie sagte, sie hätte gegen die gleichgeschlechtliche Ehe gestimmt, wenn sie damals MSP gewesen wäre, betonte jedoch, dass sie die Rechte der Menschen nach geltendem Recht verteidigen werde.

Frau Forbes sprach heute Morgen im Times Radio und versuchte, die Folgen zu glätten.

„Ich bereue den Schmerz oder die Verletzung, die mir zugefügt wurde, sehr, denn das war auch nicht meine Absicht, und ich würde um Vergebung bitten, wenn es so rüberkommt“, sagte sie.

Frau Forbes fügte hinzu, dass sie die Rechte von LGBT+-Personen verteidige, „frei von Belästigung, Angst und Vorurteilen“ zu leben.

Sie verglich ihre Haltung mit der von Angela Merkel, die einer Abstimmung über das Thema zustimmte, sich gegen die Änderung aussprach, dann aber den Willen des Deutschen Bundestages umsetzte.

Lesen Sie mehr: Wie der rücksichtslose Ehrgeiz des scheidenden Führers Schottland vor einer Reihe von Skandalen an den Rand der Unabhängigkeit brachte

„Meine Position in diesen Angelegenheiten ist, dass ich das Recht aller in einer pluralistischen und toleranten Gesellschaft, frei von Belästigung und Angst zu leben und zu lieben, nach Kräften verteidigen werde“, sagte sie.

„Und auf die gleiche Weise hoffe ich, dass anderen das Recht von Menschen des Glaubens gewährt werden kann, einen fairen Mainstream-Unterricht zu praktizieren. Und das ist die Nuance, die wir bei der gleichberechtigten Ehe einfangen müssen.“

Herausgefordert, dass ihre Kampagne so gut wie beendet war, sagte Frau Forbes: „Absolut nicht. Wir haben eine große Parteimitgliedschaft, von denen die meisten nicht auf Twitter sind.

„Ich verstehe, dass die Leute sehr starke Ansichten zu diesen Angelegenheiten haben. Ich denke, die Öffentlichkeit sehnt sich danach, dass Politiker klare Fragen mit klaren Antworten beantworten, und das habe ich gestern in den Medien versucht. Das lässt nicht unbedingt viele Nuancen zu.

“Meine Position in diesen Angelegenheiten ist, dass ich in einer pluralistischen und toleranten Gesellschaft die Rechte aller Menschen, frei von Belästigung und Angst zu leben und zu lieben, mit Nachdruck verteidigen werde.”

Die gleichberechtigte Ehe wurde 2014 in Schottland mit einer überwältigenden Mehrheit von 105 zu 18 Stimmen legalisiert, während Frau Forbes erst bei den Wahlen 2016 in Holyrood gewählt wurde.

Frau Forbes sagte zuvor, sie hätte nicht für das Gesetz zur Reform der Geschlechtsanerkennung (Schottland) der schottischen Regierung in seiner jetzigen Form gestimmt.

Da sie sich in Elternzeit befand, nahm sie vor dem neuen Jahr nicht an der Schlussabstimmung teil, ist aber seit 2019 klar dagegen.

Sie war eine von 15 SNP-Politikern, die ihre Partei öffentlich aufforderten, die umstrittenen Vorschläge zu verschieben, die es Transgender-Personen erleichtern, sich selbst als ihr gewähltes Geschlecht zu identifizieren.

Sie sagte: „Meine Bedenken hinsichtlich der Selbstidentifikation waren gut dokumentiert, und ich hätte diese Bedenken hinsichtlich der Selbstidentifikation weiterhin gehabt.

„Es ist sehr schwierig, hypothetisch zu sprechen, wenn es um einen Gesetzentwurf geht, aber ich glaube, ich hätte Mühe gehabt, dieses Selbstidentifizierungselement des Gesetzes zur Anerkennung des Geschlechts zu unterstützen.“

Hätte sie dagegen gestimmt, hätte sie ihre Position als Finanzministerin aufgeben müssen.

In einer weiteren umstrittenen Intervention sagte Frau Forbes, der verurteilte Transgender-Vergewaltiger, der ursprünglich in ein Frauengefängnis gebracht wurde, sei „ein Mann“.

Frau Sturgeon wich zuvor Fragen aus, ob Isla Bryson, früher bekannt als Adam Graham, eine Frau ist, nachdem die 31-Jährige zweier sexueller Angriffe für schuldig befunden worden war.

Aber im Gespräch mit dem Daily Telegraph sagte Frau Forbes unmissverständlich, dass „kein Vergewaltiger eine Frau sein kann“ und dass „Isla Bryson ein Mann ist“.

Frau Forbes beschuldigte ihre Gegner auch, sie wegen ihres christlichen Glaubens angegriffen zu haben, „und nicht wegen ihrer Kompetenz, Erfahrung oder Vision“.

Sie sagte: „Wir müssen sehr vorsichtig sein, dass wir in Schottland nicht sagen, dass Sie kein öffentliches Amt bekleiden können, selbst das höchste öffentliche Amt, wenn Sie Mitglied eines bestimmten Glaubens sind.

„Oder Sie können ein öffentliches Amt bekleiden, aber Sie müssen tatsächlich Ihren Glauben abstreifen. Das scheint mir ein sehr illiberaler Ansatz zu sein.

Sie fügte hinzu: „Mein Ansatz ist, dass ich offen mit dem Glauben umgegangen bin, dem Einfluss des Glaubens auf mein Leben.

“Aber wir scheinen in der Lage zu sein, einen Hindu in Nummer 10 zu haben, ist es übertrieben zu glauben, dass wir einen Christen in Bute House haben könnten?”

“Ich würde viel lieber mit der britischen Regierung über die Änderungen diskutieren, die vorgenommen werden müssen, als mit der Herausforderung fortzufahren.”

Isla Bryson – früher bekannt als Andrew Graham – wurde im Januar vor Gericht in Glasgow abgebildet

Wer ist Humza Yousaf?

Humza Yousaf, 37, ist der Gesundheitsminister der schottischen Regierung, der 2018 Schottlands erster muslimischer Kabinettsminister wurde, als er zum Justizminister ernannt wurde.

Er ist seit 2016 MSP für Glasgow Pollok, nachdem er bereits 2011 im Alter von nur 26 Jahren als zusätzliches Mitglied für die Region Glasgow in das schottische Parlament gewählt worden war.

Obwohl er als möglicher Ersatz für Frau Sturgeon als Erste Ministerin vorgeschlagen wurde, könnten die Chancen von Herrn Yousaf durch die aktuelle Gesundheitskrise in Schottland beeinträchtigt werden.

Besonders unter Druck geraten sind die langen Wartezeiten auf Krankenwagen und Notfallversorgung.

Herr Yousaf hat mit seiner zweiten Frau Nadia El-Nakla eine Tochter und ein Stiefkind.

Im Gespräch mit The Scotsman sagte Frau Forbes, die sich seit Frühsommer letzten Jahres im Mutterschaftsurlaub und von der Frontpolitik ferngehalten hat, dass sie die gleichberechtigte Ehe nicht als „Gewissenssache“ unterstützt hätte, wenn sie Abgeordnete im Parlament gewesen wäre Zeit.

Sie führte das Beispiel von Angela Merkel als einer Führungspersönlichkeit an, die über die Angelegenheit „mit ihrem Gewissen“ abgestimmt habe.

Sie sagte: „Ich hätte aus Gewissensgründen für die Lehre der meisten großen Religionen gestimmt, dass die Ehe zwischen Mann und Frau besteht.

„Aber ich hätte die getroffene demokratische Entscheidung respektiert und verteidigt.

“Es ist jetzt ein legales Recht und ich bin ein Diener der Demokratie, ich bin kein Diktator.”

Frau Forbes verurteilte auch den „illiberalen Diskurs“ um ihren Glauben und wie ihre religiösen Ansichten ihre Entscheidungen als Erste Ministerin beeinflussen könnten.

Sie ist Mitglied der Free Church of Scotland und hatte zuvor gesagt, ihr Glaube habe keinen Einfluss auf ihre Fähigkeit, als MSP zu dienen.

Herr Yousaf sagte, er werde „immer für die Gleichberechtigung anderer kämpfen“.

Auf die Frage, was er davon halte, was Frau Forbes zur gleichgeschlechtlichen Ehe zu sagen habe, sagte Herr Yousaf gegenüber der Sendung Good Morning Scotland von BBC Radio Scotland: „Es ist ihre Sache, ihre Ansichten zu verteidigen, ich habe meine Ansichten sehr klar zum Ausdruck gebracht.

„Ich denke, meine Erfolgsbilanz in Gleichstellungsfragen spricht eine klare und deutliche Sprache.

„Ich bin eine Minderheit in diesem Land, ich war mein ganzes Leben lang eine Minderheit, und meine Rechte existieren nicht in einem Vakuum, meine Rechte hängen von den Rechten anderer Menschen ab, und deshalb glaube ich sehr fest daran, und zwar mit jeder Faser mein Wesen, dass deine Gleichheit meine Gleichheit ist, deshalb werde ich immer für die Gleichberechtigung anderer kämpfen, egal wer sie sind.’

Die schottische Finanzministerin Kate Forbes kritisierte die Notwendigkeit, die Attraktivität der SNP zu „erweitern“, als sie bestätigte, dass sie kandidiert

Wer ist die Anwärterin auf die SNP-Führung, Kate Forbes?

Kate Forbes ist ein führendes Mitglied der Verwaltung von Frau Sturgeon, die als Favoritin für ihren Ersatz gehandelt wird.

Die fließend Gälisch sprechende Sprecherin wurde im Februar 2020 Finanzministerin der schottischen Regierung, die erste Frau in diesem Amt.

Kate Forbes heiratete im Juli 2021 Alasdair MacLennan – einen verwitweten Schornsteinfeger, der zehn Jahre älter war als sie.

Ihr Ehemann, bekannt als Ali, hatte drei Töchter – Rachael, Rebekah und Zara – mit seiner indischen ersten Frau Priya. Sie starb 2014 im Alter von nur 38 Jahren.

Frau Forbes, 32, ging im vergangenen Juli in den Mutterschaftsurlaub – die erste amtierende schottische Kabinettssekretärin überhaupt – und brachte im August ihre Tochter Naomi zur Welt.

Als Tochter von Missionaren verbrachte Frau Forbes einen Großteil ihrer Kindheit in Indien.

Sie ist Mitglied der Free Church of Scotland, manchmal auch als „Wee Frees“ bekannt, die gegen die Homo-Ehe ist und glaubt, dass es nur wenige Umstände gibt, unter denen eine Abtreibung gerechtfertigt ist.

Die Regierung von Frau Sturgeon wurde beschuldigt, ihre umstrittenen Reformen zur Geschlechtsidentität vor Weihnachten durchgezogen zu haben, während Frau Forbes im Mutterschaftsurlaub blieb, um eine mögliche Revolte der 32-Jährigen zu verhindern.

The post Now SNP hopeful Kate Forbes says having intercourse outdoors marriage is ‘incorrect’ appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Moving across the country has always been a challenge, but with more Americans moving than ever before, is it possible to stay under (or even at) budget?

According to U.S. Postal Service change-of-address data, over 10.2 million people moved from January to April 2020, while over 10 million requests were submitted from the same timeframe this year. Similarly, a recent YouGov survey found that of 8,233 adults surveyed, 16% reported moving out of their current homes during the pandemic and 9% moved to a different city altogether.

While an overwhelming percentage of the requests in 2020 and 2021 were temporary (meaning someone requests to forward their mail to another place but plans to move back to their original residence within six months), many decided to make their move permanent. For those looking to go the distance (long-distance that is) and find the best moving company to help them do so, they were in for a rude awakening when it came to moving costs.

Moving Calculator

Find out how much space you’ll need in a moving truck for all your belongings.

The current labor shortage is affecting nearly every industry, from restaurants to construction, to the moving industry. But just how badly has this change disrupted pricing and moving patterns? We took a deep dive into why moving across the country is so expensive right now, which factors are at play in the decision to relocate and where people have chosen to move.

From 2019 to 2020 (from January to April), the United States saw a 3.3% increase in permanent change of address requests, while temporary requests from the same years were up an astounding 41.3%.

According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center, about one-fifth of U.S. adults moved or knew someone who did in 2020 as a result of Covid-19 while many others attempted a temporary move or forwarded mail to another address, but didn’t end up moving permanently.

The changes in address between 2019 and 2020 were a clear response to Covid-19, with temporary address changes mostly coming from massive exodus states like New York and California. The story is different between 2020 and 2021: We see a downtick in temporary moves, with numbers of permanent moves up in comparison to 2019, which means that the desire to permanently change addresses even after the first year of Covid-19 is still very real.

Why Is Moving So Expensive Right Now?

Of course, in a typical year, there are certain times when moving becomes a little pricier than others, but the last year and a half has been trying for those who were looking to move for a reasonable price.

“May through August is the peak season for moving, so naturally, we’re always busy, and rates usually increase by 20%. However, this and last year was a bit different than most,” Josh Morales, CEO of International Van Lines, told Forbes Advisor Home.

Morales explained that after Covid-19 hit the United States, manufacturing across relevant sectors slowed and gas prices increased. “Everything from [the cost of] packing supplies to trucks increased. Therefore, moving costs increased.” Then, there’s the sheer volume of people who, as a result of Covid-19, decided to move somewhere else.

Morales says that last year, “states like California, New York and Washington saw record numbers for moves out, which caused a supply-and-demand issue.” That, mixed with seasonality, has resulted in a significant ongoing shortage of availability for moving companies.

“We’re currently seeing record numbers, and this is a national issue, not local,” Morales added.

Anthony DiSorbo, president of American Van Lines, added that the shortage of drivers is contributing greatly to driving costs across the sector. “The [lack of] labor available is driving the labor costs much higher. There are shortages nationwide, but we are noticing them most in California, Oregon, Washington and New York.”

Just How Expensive Is Moving Becoming and Where?

Ryan Carrigan, cofounder of moveBuddha, says that while the majority of the nation is seeing a spike in long-distance moving costs, the west (particularly California) is feeling the most heat.

“There has been an unprecedented number of people leaving the state and hardly anyone moving into California. This has created a major logistical problem for moving companies that rely on a balance of inbound and outbound moves to keep their trucks full,” Carrigan explained. “If every shipment is going in the same direction, there’s going to be a lot of empty trucks on return trips which make moves more expensive. Several large moving services have suspended or drastically reduced service to California. Other companies have simply increased their pricing to adjust for the issue.”

DiSorbo added that overall, “July 2021 is about 15% more expensive than July 2020 was,” and Morales told Forbes Advisor Home that a move from California to New York, with a truck carrying 1,000 cubic feet of items, cost between $7,000 and $8,000 in 2020, while in 2021, the costs for the same move rose to $8,500 to $9,500.

According to Morales, a move from New York to Texas, with a truck carrying 714 cubic feet of items, cost between $4,284 and $4,500 in 2020, while in 2021, the same move costs between $4,998 and $5,500, showing an almost 20% increase in rates. So while East Coast to West Coast moves cost less on average than the opposite route, prices are still much higher in 2021 compared to the previous year.

Carrigan shared with Forbes Advisor Home moveBuddha’s recent survey asking 63 moving company executives which states were the toughest for servicing customers. Thirty-eight percent of respondents said California was the biggest state in terms of issues servicing customers.

Respondents were also asked how current pricing compares to previous peak moving seasons. A whopping 38% of respondents said that they’re seeing five to 10% higher pricing on average, 19% reported 10 to 15% higher-than-average pricing and 11% reported 15 to 25% higher pricing, compared to the 24% who reported similar pricing to previous peak seasons.

Another survey question focused on if respondents saw any impact on delivery times for interstate moves. While 29% said delivery times were about the same as a typical peak season, 35% reported a one-to-three-day delay, while 31% reported a five-to-seven-day delay. These figures were mostly generated by moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator.

How Is the Labor Shortage Disrupting Migration Patterns?

Considering states like California are seeing record numbers of people leaving (California had a net loss of 61,945 residents from January to April of 2019 vs. 101,248 from January to April of 2021), the shortage has certainly shaken up historic moving patterns within the country.

Morales added that California, in particular, experienced record numbers of moves partially because of the wildfires at the beginning of Covid-19, which pushed many residents out of their homes for safety and environmental reasons.

DiSorbo offered intel that many people moving out of New York are now migrating south along the I-95 corridor to states like Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, while moves coming out of California, Oregon and Washington are heading for states like Texas, Florida and Arizona.

Is Covid-19 to Blame for the Shortages?

Morales says the shortages in the moving industry are due to several factors, including the housing market and climate change, plus manufacturers shutting down during Covid-19.

“People are moving into South Florida from New York and California and offering hundreds of thousands of dollars over asking price for homes,” Morales explains. “Manufacturing was shut down for quite some time with a lot of backlogs, and while manufacturing shut down, orders didn’t stop.”

According to Morales, many companies are scrambling and opting to use U-Hauls—if and when they’re available, and packing materials are also on a halt. “On top of that, gas prices went up. That, in combination with peak season, caused this trickle effect. I have been in this industry for 16 years, and I have never seen anything like this.”

However, Carrigan argues that the trends we are seeing now have been in the works for a few years before Covid-19. “There was already a truck driver shortage prior to the pandemic, and it has only gotten worse.”

“When Covid-19 first hit, we saw an explosion of net migration out of cities like New York and San Francisco. But as things have started to normalize, the major effect of Covid-19 seems to be an acceleration of trends that were already underway,” Carrigan explains. “Chicago is losing residents. People are leaving California. Austin is growing like crazy. These trends were already underway before the pandemic, but have only gotten stronger.”

Also worth noting: The U.S. Department of Transportation established the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) rule for all truckers, which has affected the route times for many moving jobs. This rule caused many moving companies to restrict the hours their drivers were working (if they weren’t already before).

Some companies were no longer able to keep with the schedule at which they were pacing and some drivers moved on to find better-paying jobs, causing the beginning of the moving labor shortage. Driving rates increased as a result of the rule, which trickled down to higher customer costs.

“Some moving companies are choosing to do fewer moves so they can maintain normal delivery times. So instead of delaying moves, they’ve chosen to take on fewer customers in order to keep delivery times consistent,” Carrigan added. “[That’s] another reason why prices are higher and availability is lower this year.”

On the flip side, though, Carrigan explains that “other companies are taking on more customers and have chosen to delay delivery times. This is where the delays are coming from.”

How Are People Handling Long-Distance Moves?

For Emily Gregor, who moved from Brooklyn to Chicago at the end of April of this year, choosing from the best long-distance moving companies simply wasn’t an option.

“We planned our move pretty quickly. My lease was up, and my partner and I decided to spring on an apartment in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood. I researched companies that would do door-to-door service (especially since hiring movers was a godsend during the five years I lived in New York),” Gregor told Forbes Advisor Home.

Unfortunately for Gregor, every quote wound up being thousands of dollars more than she had ever anticipated or experienced in the past.

Gregor says she had no choice but to leave all her furniture behind and DIY her move. “We spent $670 on a two-day car rental, driving from Brooklyn to Ohio the first day, and then stopping at a hotel to sleep before heading to Chicago. It was stressful because we weren’t sure how large the SUV would be, but after some strategic Tetris-level maneuvers, we were able to pack up our Ford Explorer and get on the road.”

Rachel Abraham, who moved from Denver to Ellsworth, Maine, initially opted for a moving company, but after reading terrifying reviews, canceled and paid a high fee instead of trusting all of her belongings with a poorly reviewed company.

“We didn’t initially realize that the company was essentially a stack of subcontractors that just weren’t worth trusting with all our money and stuff,” Abraham told Forbes Advisor Home. While Abraham says the costs were lower than average, the reviews she read pointed out that people were “nickel-and-dimed” by tons of hidden fees.

“The process was a nightmare and sort of vindicated our choice to invest in a trailer hitch for our car and rent a U-Haul that I could tow,” Abraham says. She opted to pay $1,983.38 for a U-Haul trailer rental and also added on costs for the hitch install and gas with the trailer in tow.

“I feel like we did pretty well, all things considered. I really wish there were more consumer protections for interstate moving. The whole experience felt littered with hidden expenses and no guarantees that our belongings would arrive safely and on time for us to collapse on our mattress after such an exhausting journey,” she added.

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States With the Most Incoming Residents

According to a United Van Lines annual movers study published in January (focused on states with more than 250 moves with United Van Lines), more people opted to move to Montana and Delaware for retirement (41% of retiree moves), followed by Florida (39%) and South Carolina (38.5%), while families were more likely to move to Minnesota (41% of all family moves).

As for those moving for a new job or job transfer out of state, 72% chose to move to Nebraska, while Wyoming was a hot spot for those looking for a lifestyle change, with inbound percentages reaching 29%. Idaho was a popular state to move to for better cost of living and boasted an 11% inbound move increase.

MoveBuddha’s Carrigan says states like Texas, Florida, Idaho and Utah have seen some significant increases in new residents.

Two major cities in Ohio (Columbus and Cincinnati) were in the top 50 cities with the most net gain in residents, according to USPS change-of-address data, which makes Ohio another popular spot for those who are hoping to become homeowners.

Top 10 States Moved into in 2021

We looked at 2021 USPS change-of-address data from January to April to identify the top 10 states with the most incoming residents based on net gain.

Comparing the total population against the percent change of moves in, Delaware shows the biggest influx of new residents with a 0.23% change, followed by South Carolina with a 0.20% change and Maine with a 0.19% change. Below, we reworked the list to show the states with the largest percentage change of residents moving in against the overall population. The population shown is as of 2019.

• Delaware: Population of 973,764 – 0.23% change
• South Carolina: Population of 5.149 million – 0.20% change
• Maine: Population of 1.344 million – 0.19% change
• Nevada: Population of 3.08 million – 0.10% change
• Idaho: Population of 1.787 million – 0.10% change
• North Carolina: Population of 10.49 million – 0.09% change
• Tennessee: Population of 6.829 million – 0.07% change
• Florida: Population of 21.48 million – 0.06% change
• Georgia: Population of 10.62 million – 0.05% change
• Texas: Population of 29 million – 0.04% change

Top 10 Cities Moved into in 2021

Similarly, we gathered the available USPS data on top cities for incoming residents between January and April of this year.

Comparing the 10 cities’ total population against the percent change of moves in, Katy saw a whopping 16% change in incoming residents because of its lower population. Following are Richmond with a percent change of 13.9% and Naples with a percent change of 8.14%. Below, we reorganized these top cities to show those with the largest percentage change of residents moving in against their overall population. The population shown is as of 2019.

• Katy, TX: Population of 20,202 – 16% change
• Richmond, TX: Population of 12,646 – 13.9% change
• Naples, FL: Population of 21,812 – 8.14% change
• Northbrook, IL: Population of 33,343 – 4.3% change
• Sarasota, FL: Population of 56,919 – 3.16% change
• Georgetown, TX: Population of 71,004 – 2.3% change
• Kissimmee, TX: Population of 71,185 – 2.1% change
• Frisco, TX: Population of 177,020 – 1.2% change
• Port Saint Lucie, FL: Population of 189,396 – 1% change
• Henderson, NV: Population of 300,116 – 0.48% change

NOTE: While certain cities, like Frisco, have been growing at a similar rate for years before the pandemic hit, it’s still worth noting that these areas were of major interest through 2021.

The Largest Exodus States

The top four states where Carrigan has seen the most departures from are California, New York, Washington and Illinois. “Politics has played a role,” Carrigan says. “We’ve had many business owners leave California due to restrictions. We’ve also learned that large companies can work remotely, so employees are moving to less expensive locations.”

Top 10 States Moved Out of in 2021

Using the USPS change-of-address data, we looked into the top 10 states with the highest net loss of residents.

Taking into consideration the total population versus the percent change in moves out, New York had the largest change at 0.39%, while California followed with a 0.26% change. Below, we reworked the list to show the states with the largest percentage change of residents moving out. The population shown is as of 2019.

• New York: 19.45 million population – 0.39% change
• California: Population of 39.51 million – 0.26% percent change
• Illinois: Population of 12.67 million – 0.23% change
• Massachusetts: Population of 6.893 million – 0.22% change
• Colorado: Population of 5.759 million – 0.21% change
• Wisconsin: Population of 5.822 million – 0.18% change
• Washington: Population of 7.615 million – 0.17% change
• Indiana: Population of 6.732 million – 0.17% change
• Pennsylvania: Population of 12.8 million – 0.14% change
• Michigan: Population of 9.987 million – 0.11% change

Top 10 Cities Moved Out of in 2021

Using the USPS change-of-address data, we also looked into the top 10 cities with the highest net loss of residents.

Again, taking into consideration the total population versus the percent change in moves out, this list would be reranked (as shown below) to highlight Minneapolis as the biggest city in terms of resident net loss, considering its population of just over 420,000 and a 1.6% change in population just from January to April of 2021. Following Minneapolis is San Francisco with a 1.34% change and Washington D.C. with a 1% change. New York City (overall) and Los Angeles actually make the bottom of the list, considering their higher population density. The population shown is as of 2019.

• Minneapolis, MN: Population of 420,324 – 1.6% change
• San Francisco, CA: Population of 874,961 – 1.34% change
• Washington, D.C.: Population of 692,683 – 1% change
• Chicago, IL: Population of 2.71 million – 0.70% change
• Brooklyn, NY: Population of 2.59 million – 0.66% change
• Bronx, NY: Population of 1.435 million – 0.63% change
• Philadelphia, PA: Population of 1.579 million – 0.52% change
• Los Angeles, CA: Population of 3.967 million – 0.48% change
• Houston, TX: Population of 2.31 million – 0.46% change
• New York, NY: Population of 8.419 million – 0.29% change

Unlike the move-out cities, the move-in cities have a much lower population with higher percent changes in residents, showing that the major migration trends continuing in 2021 skew out of larger cities and into smaller cities and towns.

What Are People Doing Wrong When Booking a Moving Company?

Carrigan and Morales agree that the No. 1 issue is not being able to identify a moving scam.

DiSorbo also told Forbes Advisor Home that he believes a lot of consumers have not done proper research on the moving company they choose. “There are lots of rogue movers online that look legitimate because of their fake reviews.”

Morales says that customers aren’t always optimizing their price shopping, either. “We all want to save money, but the moving industry harbors many scam artists that give out ‘low ball’ estimates. Do the research, get three quotes and go with your gut. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.”

Morales strongly recommends that customers check the DOT safer website for license information. “You have to also look at the years in business versus the complaint ratio.” Morales warns that while you may think you have found a great low-priced moving company, “the guy opened up his company two days ago and has every intention of scamming you.”

Ultimately, Morales reiterates to go with your gut. “If you get three moving quotes and two companies are coming in at $10,000 but one comes in at $5,000, you know there’s something wrong.”

How to Save Money on a Long-Distance Move

While moving is ridiculously expensive now and for the near future, there are a few things you can do to save some money on a big move, including:

• Self-packing
• Booking a date in advance (at least a few months out)
• Purging and getting rid of unwanted stuff
• Choosing the right company (and consider budgeting for packing, any damages and overcharges)

DiSorbo agreed that while moving prices are higher than ever, customers aren’t totally out of luck if they need to make a cross-country move happen. “If you are flexible on your move dates, avoid moving between May 15 to August 31, because that is our busiest season,” DiSorbo advised. He also says to try to avoid moving during the last week of the month, since there is a higher demand for those dates and often costs more money.

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