Holyrood Finance Secretary Kate Forbes will become the first member of the Scottish cabinet to take maternity leave, after she confirmed she is pregnant with her first child.

       Ms Forbes said she and her husband Ali MacLennan were “absolutely thrilled” to be expecting a baby in the summer.

       But she stated: “I am equally pleased to be the first serving cabinet secretary to take maternity leave in Scotland, which I hope sends a clear and strong message that holding a senior leadership role in the public eye should not be a barrier to starting a family.”

       Ms Forbes, the MSP for Skye Lochaber and Badenoch, and Mr MacLennan tied the knot in her home town of Dingwall in the Scottish Highlands in July 2021.

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       Announcing her pregnancy, she said: “My husband Ali and I are absolutely thrilled to announce we are expecting a baby later this year and we’re looking forward to welcoming a new member of our family.”

       With the news coming ahead of Thursday’s key Holyrood Budget debate, she added: “For now, I remain focused on tackling the biggest issues of the day, including passing the 2022-2023 Scottish Budget later this week.”

       She also said she hoped she could show it is possible to combine a career in politics with a family – although Ms Forbes accepted she was in for a “very busy few months”.

       As well as focusing on the Budget, she was also working on “supporting people through the cost of living crisis”.

       The Finance Secretary added: “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 normal, to the local residents of Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch.

       “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.

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       “Politics, like many workplaces, is often 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.”