The Union has no substance

It’s always useful to be told what we’re allowed to think. The news from the Kate Forbes leadership campaign is that you can’t make it in politics unless you swallow sex changes and celebrate same-sex marriage. 

Fascinating. Especially since the former is actually very controversial – hence the backlash against the SNP’s gender ID reform – and the latter has only been the law since 2014. Even more interesting is that Forbes’ insistence that she wouldn’t try to reverse equal marriage isn’t enough. She is being pilloried not for her politics – which, in the sense of wishing to separate faith from existing legislation, is quite liberal – but for her incorrect values. 

No, it is not enough to tolerate equal marriage. The political class can only support Forbes if she is enthusiastic about it. Hence she is reportedly losing ground to doe-eyed Hamza Yousaf, a Muslim who has suggested he’d vote for every LGBTQ+ right put before him.