Would-be Scottish leader under fire over gay marriage stance

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — A front-runner to become Scotland’s next leader is fighting to keep her campaign alive amid a backlash over her opposition to same-sex marriage. Scottish Finance Secretary Kate Forbes belongs to the evangelical Free Church of Scotland. She said Monday that her faith wouldn’t have allowed her to vote in favor of allowing same-sex couples to wed. Forbes wasn’t yet a lawmaker when the Scottish Parliament legalized same-sex marriage in 2014. Forbes had been considered a favorite to replace First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who announced her resignation last week. But several Scottish National Party lawmakers withdrew their support following her marriage comments. Forbes said Tuesday she was continuing her campaign “at the moment.”