FORBES US..OR AGAINST US?

Yousaf accuses main competitor of helping Tories with attack on policies

- BY CHRIS MCCALL

ASH REGAN

5/10

THE backbench MSP aimed a dig at Forbes by saying that candidates should not be attacking each other personally.

She also claimed, with pushback from Yousaf, that her resignation from government over gender legislation proved she was brave and principled.

Her performances have improved during the campaign but she remains the rank outsider in the contest.

HUMZA Yousaf accused Kate Forbes last night of handing the Tories "ammunition" to attack the SNP's record in government.

In another stormy leadership debate broadcast live on TV, the Health Secretary turned his fire on his Cabinet colleague after she had previously questioned his suitability to replace Nicola Sturgeon.

Forbes, the Finance Secretary, had set the contest to become the next first minister alight earlier this week after she attacked Yousaf's record.

And she claimed last night to be the leadership candidate Unionists feared the most only for Yousaf to insist that Conservatives were "rooting" for her to win.

During lively exchanges, the Health Secretary said he was proud of the job Forbes had done in government as well as his own ministerial record.

Yousaf said: "We're only going to win support for our cause if we work together as a team. But what unfortunately happened in the last TV debate, Kate, is that you essentially gave our opponents so much ammunition to attack us with.

"Douglas Ross said today that your words would be in every single Conservative leaflet.

"What you've done is you've handed the Conservatives, and our opponents, material and ammunition to attack and trash our record.