Kate Forbes defends 'silent prayer' near abortion clinics and says it is an 'important freedom'

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The defeated candidate in the SNP leadership contest has defended “silent prayer” outside abortion clinics.Kate Forbes said prayer cannot be banned and added that upcoming legislation on buffer zones near abortion clinics had to be the product of a “liberal society”.She also said she would stay in the SNP and refused to fully rule out another bid for the top job.A spokesperson for Back off Scotland, which supports buffer zones, said: “We’ve heard from hundreds of women who have been negatively impacted by the behaviours of these groups - silent or otherwise - at the gates of abortion clinics across Scotland.“It’s very concerning that despite that information being in the public domain and multiple women bravely speaking out about their experiences, Kate Forbes still feels emboldened to make these ignorant comments.”Forbes was well placed to take over from Nicola Sturgeon earlier this year, but her socially conservative views on abortion and equal marriage are believed to have damaged her chances.She was also quizzed during the contest on plans to crack down on the harassment of women near health facilities by anti-abortion protestors.The former Finance Secretary's support for buffer zones was more lukewarm and measured than the backing offered by Humza Yousaf, who narrowly beat her.In an interview with a Christian media outlet, Sancta Familia, she was asked about prayer vigils outside clinics and whether a buffer zone law planned by Green MSP Gillian Mackay is necessary:“It's really important that every piece of legislation, including a bill like this that touches on so many of our enshrined freedoms, that it is properly scrutinised, and that the committee and then the parliament take the broadest number and diversity of