MSP Kate Forbes and her husband Ali Maclennan are 'absolutely delighted' to be expecting their first child with the Dingwall politician saying 'all being well, we’re looking forward to welcoming a new member of the family in the summer' when she will take maternity leave
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MSP Kate Forbes and her husband Ali Maclennan are expecting their first child in the summer after the “delighted” couple married last summer in their hometown of Dingwall.
They already have three teenage daughters Rachael, Rebekah and Zara from Mr MacLennan’s first marriage.
The announcement means that Ms Forbes will likely become the first-ever serving Cabinet Secretary to go on maternity leave.
But despite taking a break from Holyrood she has reassured constituents that her office and team will continue supporting local residents throughout that period as normal.
Ms Forbes said: “My husband Ali and I are absolutely delighted to announce that we are expecting a baby later this year. All being well, we’re looking forward to welcoming a new member of the family in the summer.
“We have been incredibly grateful for the kind messages of support from family, friends, constituents and colleagues.
“In the meantime, I have a very busy few months ahead including the final stage of the budget this week and supporting people through the cost of living crisis.
“I will be taking maternity leave when the baby arrives but I want to reassure constituents that my office will remain open, and my constituency team will continue to provide help and support, as usual, to the residents of Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch.”
Ms Forbes says she hopes that she can play a “small part” in making politics a more supportive place for parents. She is the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy which has one of the biggest and busiest portfolios in the Scottish Government so someone will have to deputise for her while she is on leave.
She said: “I have an even deeper admiration for the thousands of women across the country who balance both work and personal responsibilities.
“There might be particular challenges with being a politician in the public eye, whilst combating the side effects of pregnancy, but it is an experience which is familiar to countless women.
“Politics, like many workplaces, is not renowned for being a supportive environment for parents. Hopefully I can play a small part in changing that, and demonstrating that it is possible to have children and a career, with the right support in place.”
