Ex-Scottish National Party leadership contender Kate Forbes has been accused of "abandoning the stage" by confirming her decision to stand down at next year's Holyrood election.

Forbes, who serves as John Swinney's Deputy First Minister and represents Skye, Lochaber & Badenoch in the Scottish Parliament, said in a statement that she did not want to "seek re-election and miss any more of the precious early years of family life".

However, the mother-of-one will continue to sit in the Scottish Parliament until polls open north of the border next May.

Swinney, who promoted Forbes after the 35-year-old opted not to challenge him for the SNP leadership last year, said the Cambridge-educated independence supporter had made an "invaluable contribution to public life" over the past 10 years.

Forbes told the BBC: "Over the last few years I have balanced the role of representing a large area in the Highlands with a Government job as deputy first minister and having a small family.

"As I look ahead to the next election I have concluded that I don't want to miss any more of these precious early years of family life."

She added: "I want to focus on supporting my family and I feel like it's not possible to do that with the distance involved and the total commitment required of this job."

"I've loved serving Scotland, I've loved serving the SNP and my constituents over that decade and I look forward to continuing to campaign for the SNP at the upcoming election."

PA

Forbes, who is a practising Christian, had previously set her sights on becoming Scotland's First Minister in 2023, receiving criticism from eventual SNP leadership winner Humza Yousaf over her views on gay marriage, abortion and trans rights.

Yousaf also announced his decision to step down at the next Holyrood election last year, saying it was the "right time" to "provide opportunity for the next generation of MSPs to step forward".

Meanwhile, then-leadership hopeful Ash Regan defected from the SNP to Alex Salmond's Alba Party in 2023.

However, Forbes's imminent departure sparked a backlash from her Unionist critics.

PA | Humza Yousaf, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan.

Scottish Tory MP John Lamont said: "Telling that even the Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes, is giving up on this SNP Government."

Meanwhile, Scottish Labour's deputy leader Jackie Baille added: "Kate Forbes was the future once - but now, like many of her counterparts in the SNP, she can see the writing on the wall. The truth is this is a tired Government with no vision and no ideas."

However, an SNP colleague came out to bat for Forbes, accusing Scottish journalist Paul Hutcheon of missing the point by connecting her departure to "independence [being] off the radar".

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: "Bloke knows better about being a mum while holding [a] ministerial role and pressure of balancing bot when he demonstrably has been neither."

GETTY | Kate Forbes

Some high-profile Unionist MSPs also shared their compassionate thoughts on Forbes's departure.

Scottish Conservative MSP Meghan Gallacher wrote: “Despite our political differences, I completely understand and appreciate Kate Forbes reasons for standing down. I wish her and her family well for the future.

“However, the departure of his Deputy First Minister will come as a hammer blow to John Swinney ahead of next year’s election.

"He made the choice to bring her back into the heart of the government last year and would have wanted her to play a key role in the campaign.

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Kate Forbes

“If Scotland is to move on from the SNP’s never-ending obsession with independence, then we must remove them from office next year and get the focus back on Scotland’s real priorities.”

Meanwhile, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton wished the Forbes family "well for everything that comes next" before vowing to snatch her seat from the SNP.

He added: “This is a top target seat for the Scottish Liberal Democrats, having won the equivalent seat at Westminster last year.

“We’re campaigning hard to fix the care crisis, to cut your energy bills, and for better local healthcare having recently secured the replacement for the Belford Hospital in the Scottish Budget.”