Inverness Ones to Watch 2025: Politics
Highland MSP and Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes
“Well, the last time we spoke I was on the back benches having just lost a bruising - to use other people's words - leadership contest and here I am a year on as the Deputy First Minister – so who is to say that there aren't surprises in politics?”
Kate Forbes took time to recover from that contest, her patience stretched thin by what she called “opinionated stupidity” and “fashionable morality”.
A year on and now Deputy First Minister to John Swinney she said: “As a Highlander, I want to use the job as far as possible to demonstrate that rural areas are critically important to the national success.”
It is perhaps her most central message – that local progress is the same thing as national progress.
She said of the SNP: “Our confidence is based on the fact that we have always won elections because we've had the trust of voters to get the job done – to deliver.
“Under John Swinney, he's really clear that we want to govern from the centre left in the mainstream of public opinion. In other words, pragmatic practical policy.”
She brings together several points in one: local and national interest; national political action; and representing voters: “I'm really proud of the most recent Scottish Government budget because I see in that the roots of things that will get done.
“I'm particularly proud of the huge increase in regeneration funding – so about £62 million of capital funding that can go on regeneration projects in town centres.
“Now who wouldn't like to see Dingwall High Street get a bit of that funding to transform it so that funding can go a long way in local areas and that's what people want to see – they want to see the evidence.”
As the highest ranked Highland politician it will be nothing if not interesting to see where she goes next.
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SNP vs Labour
At no point in the history of devolution has an impending Scottish Parliament election been discussed earlier or more eagerly than the 2026 showdown – and the next 12 to 15 months will be pivotal for the frontrunners, and others.
It should have been plain sailing for Labour but in less than five months since the General election that now looks much less certain.
The move by Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves to strip many pensioners of the right to the winter fuel payment, the piling on of pressure on employers with hikes to their National Insurance contributions and a still stagnating UK are doing nothing to improve their popularity at present.
Recent polls put the SNP on track to retain power in Holyrood.
The loss of 39 seats in the general election for the Nationalists appears to have been wake-up call for them and under John Swinney and Kate Forbes policy has become more pragmatic, much less ideological - with Westminster manoueverings currently just the gift that keeps on giving.
There’s still a way to go until Scots go to the polls, but the fight looks like one with many more exciting rounds to come.
Maternity services in the north
Hopes that maternity services in the Highlands would get a boost when the Scottish Government announced an extra £133 million funding for NHS Highland have been dashed.
The maternity unit at Raigmore was due for a major upgrade to accommodate demand not just locally also to help cope with pressures at Dr Grey’s in Elgin.
But the £9 million expansion was halted in January 2024 when the development did not appear on the 2021-22 to 2025-26 Infrastructure Investment Plan which “identified the priority health capital projects for funding”.
NHS Highland has confirmed that “no funding has been provided for specific capital investment other than the development of the Belford business case”, which was announced in the budget.
And in Caithness the health board also confirmed it would not use any of the additional funding to reinstate consultant-led maternity care there – something campaigners have been pressing for in order to cut the number of mums having to head to Inverness to give birth.
Recently the Scottish Human Rights Commission delivered a damning verdict on that practice describing it as “barbaric” – will 2025 be the year when authorities finally take action?
