SNP leadership: Next FM should not roll back equal rights - Yousaf

Scotland's next first minister should not "roll back" equal rights, SNP leadership contender Humza Yousaf has said.

The health secretary told BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg he would be a leader for "all of Scotland".

Last week Finance Secretary Kate Forbes admitted she would not have voted for equal marriage had she been an MSP in 2014.

She later said she would protect rights, particularly of minorities.

Mr Yousaf and Ms Forbes are running against former minister Ash Regan.

• Can the next SNP leader unite the party?

• Three candidates will fight SNP leadership contest

• Who will replace Nicola Sturgeon?

The ballot of SNP members, which will use a single transferrable vote system, opens on 13 March and the winner will be announced on 27 March.

On Sunday Mr Yousaf was asked if it would be acceptable if Nicola Sturgeon's successor did not to agree with equal marriage.

He told the programme: "Not if they would roll back on those rights. I don't think that's acceptable.

"If they were able to disassociate their view and not let that interfere with policy making or legislating then I think that's a different matter."

Mr Yousaf questioned what would happen if an MSP introduced a bill to challenge the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act.

He added: "People in our society need to know that whoever is going to be their first minister will stand up for those rights, will advance rights where possible and make sure that there is not regression of rights."

'Another way' for independence

Mr Yousaf also defended his record in government as transport, justice and now health secretary.

On the issue of independence the Glasgow Pollok MSP said he was "not wedded" to the idea, put forward by Ms Sturgeon last year, of making the next UK election a de facto referendum.

He added: "If we create the sustained settled will, the majority of people supporting independence, then of course those political obstacles that are put in our way by the opposition, they will crumble."

Similarly, Ash Regan said she did not believe it was appropriate to fight the next general election on the single issue of independence.

Speaking to BBC Scotland's The Sunday Show, Ms Regan said: "We need to see if there's another way forward for Scotland. I believe that Scotland will choose to become an independent country when they feel the government is acting wisely, governing competently and fairly."

Kate Forbes has also talked of the need to build "unstoppable" levels of support for independence. She previously told the BBC the strategy needed a "reset" and that it was not as simple as targeting a majority at an election.

The first full week of the leadership contest has focused on the candidates' views on social issues, with Ms Forbes facing criticism from within her own party after her comments on gay marriage.

Ms Forbes, a devout member of the Free Church of Scotland, also said she would not have voted for the Scottish government's gender reforms in December and that, according to her religious beliefs, having children outside marriage was "wrong".

Several of Ms Forbes' backers have withdrawn their endorsements, with Deputy First Minister John Swinney questioning whether someone who holds her views would be an appropriate choice to lead the party and the country.

The Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch MSP later attempted to reset her campaign, saying she felt "greatly burdened" that some of her comments had caused hurt, and pledging to "defend to the hilt" the rights of all people in Scotland to live without fear or harassment.

Nicola Sturgeon announced her resignation earlier this month

Meanwhile, Mr Yousaf came under the spotlight for his decision to miss the final vote on Scotland's equal marriage legislation.

Former minister Alex Neil said the health secretary arranged a meeting in February 2014 as cover.

But Mr Yousaf said he had an "unavoidable" engagement about a death row prisoner in Pakistan.

He has also faced criticism over the state of the NHS, particularly waiting times in Scotland's hospitals.

On Thursday opposition politicians said Mr Yousaf should be sacked rather than promoted after a spending watchdog warned health service jobs targets under Scotland's Covid recovery plan were "unlikely to be met".

Ms Regan unveiled her campaign less than two hours before nominations closed

The third contender, Ash Regan, formally launched her campaign in North Queensferry on Friday.

The former community safety minister pledged to unite the party, set up an Independence Commission on her first day in the job and said she would not challenge the UK government's decision to block the Gender Recognition Act.

Ms Regan, who resigned as community safety minister over Scottish government plans to make it easier for someone to change their legally-recognised sex, also expressed concern about the current net zero targets.

The Edinburgh Eastern MSP said the SNP had always been a "broad church"and pledged to "heal the divisions that have emerged in the past few years".

She added: "Everyone is going to make up and move on."

A Panelbase poll for the Sunday Times suggested Ms Forbes is the preferred candidate to be the next SNP leader and first minister.

A total of 1,026 voters in Scotland were polled between February 21 and 24.

The poll said 23% said they would like Ms Forbes to be the next SNP leader, with 15% saying so for Mr Yousaf and 7% saying so for Ms Regan.

The response of "don't know" was on 49% in answer to this question.