Greens attack Kate Forbes at John Swinney’s first FMQs

Mr Swinney was officially sworn in on Wednesday after Humza Yousaf resigned as the result of the fallout from his decision to rip up a power-sharing agreement with the Greens.

Ms Forbes, a member of the Free Church of Scotland who has been criticised for her socially conservative views, returned to government as his deputy, as well as cabinet secretary for the economy and Gaelic.

The Greens abstained in the vote to nominate Mr Swinney as first minister, guaranteeing him a majority, but Mr Harvie urged the new first minister to give a signal of what direction his new government would take.

He said: “Yesterday that signal came pretty clearly – progressive ministers sacked, and the second most powerful job in government given to someone who has opposed LGBT people’s legal equality, who has expressed judgemental attitudes against abortion, and who has even expressed the view that people who have families without being married are doing something wrong.”

He asked: “Is this the Scottish government’s vision for the future of Scotland – taking us back to the repressive values of the 1950s?”

Mr Harvie questioned whether the first minster understood “just how worried” many LGBT people and others were in Scotland.

He went on to demand that Mr Swinney continued with “progressive” taxation and did not “give in to the right wing of his party”.

The SNP leader said his government would be led from the “moderate left of centre” political position.

The first minister said Ms Forbes had delivered progressive taxation during her time as finance secretary, between 2020 and 2023. During that time, her budgets were supported by the Scottish Greens.

“I want to lead a modern, dynamic and diverse Scotland, Mr Swinney said. ”A place for everybody, where everybody feels at home, at peace, where they have a place and that their place in our society is protected by my leadership of this country.”

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Ms Forbes said: “I am here to support the first minister and together we serve all communities in Scotland as we further and progress the rights of every community in Scotland, and I look forward to doing my part in achieving the government’s aims in that regard.”

She said she had signed up the government’s collective responsibility, adding: “So I stand by the government’s decisions and agenda to improve and progress the rights of all of Scotland’s communities.”

Ms Forbes will be officially sworn in as deputy first minister and cabinet secretary for the economy and Gaelic later on Thursday.

She was the only addition to Mr Swinney’s cabinet, with the rest of Mr Yousaf’s senior team retained.

However, the new first minister discarded the minister for independence from his first government.

Jamie Hepburn, who held the post, took over as minister for parliamentary business from George Adam.

Mr Adam, as well as former ministerial colleagues Joe Fitzpatrick and Emma Roddick, have moved to the backbenches, while Ivan McKee – an ally of Ms Forbes – returned to government as public finance minister.

Mr Swinney served in SNP cabinets for 16 years before stepping down from government in 2023.

At First Minister’s Questions, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross asked whether the government would uphold a commitment made by Mr Swinney in his previous role as education secretary to increase teacher numbers by 3,500 by 2026.

He pointed to a report commissioned by the government, published this week, that said the target would have “significant implications for cost and sustainability” and could raise questions about whether it delivered “maximum value for money”.

The report found teacher numbers had fallen by 252 from 2021 to 2023.

Mr Ross also pointed to reports Glasgow City Council could cut about 450…