Nicola Sturgeon announces she is to step down as SNP leader

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SNP Deputy Westminster leader Mhairi Black could not rule out a major party schism if her preferred candidate loses the party’s leadership election. Comments made in a podcast interview saw Ms Black asked whether she would be worried about the party in the event of a Kate Forbes victory, or whether it could find a way forward. 

Ms Forbes, who narrowly trails in the polls to Health Minister Humza Yousaf, sparked controversy at the start of the campaign when confessing she would have voted against equal marriage laws. 

A member of the Free Church of Scotland, Ms Forbes also said that having children outside of marriage is “wrong” according to her faith.

Asked whether the SNP could hold together in the event of a Ms Forbes victory, Ms Black candidly said: “I mean honestly, I don’t know.

“I don’t know to tell you the truth, it’s very much wait and see what happens.”

The lack of attempt to deny a potential party split came after Ms Black, an openly gay politician, accused Ms Forbes of being intolerant over her comments on equal marriage.

Talking about a tweet she posted condemning Ms Forbes’s views, Ms Black told The Bunker podcast: “I was so hurt and I was really feeling it.

“I thought ‘I’m going to articulate this because if I’m feeling it as hard as I am, god only knows what our members are feeling like, and even more broadly people across Scotland what they must be feeling’.

“I thought it was important to get out there ‘look there are different viewpoints and I’ve been really affected by what you’ve said’ and I think it was damaging, I make no secret of that.”

Ms Black, who was appointed deputy leader of the SNP’s Westminster group in December, denied that the party is split over social issues.

She said: “Split gives the impression that it is right down the middle, whereas I don’t think so. 

“The vast majority of our party are progressive and they think along the same lines as myself to tell you the truth.”

Ms Black’s provocative speculation about the party splitting will pour fuel on the fire of what has already been a fraught and badly-tempered SNP leadership contest. 

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On Tuesday the three candidates went head-to-head during a TV debate, clashing over how to secure Scottish independence. 

Ms Forbes slammed frontrunner Humza Yousaf, who counts Ms Black as a backer, over his record in the Scottish Government. 

She said: “When you were transport minister, the trains were never on time. When you were justice minister the police were strained to breaking point. And now as health minister we have record-high waiting times. What makes you think you’d do a better job as First Minister.”

Tory Minister and Scottish MP Andrew Bowie joked in response to the TV dust-up: “It’s nice of them to admit what we’ve been accusing them of for years, just didn’t expect it on live TV!”

A poll of SNP members last week gave Mr Yousaf a lead, but by just six points. 

SNP members placed him on 31 percent, Kate Forbes on 25 percent and Ash Regan on 11 percent. 

There were a large number of “don’t knows”, with some 32 percent of members still undecided. 

Around 100,000 SNP members will be able to begin voting on March 13, with voting closing at noon on March 27. Results will be declared later that day.

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