Scotland’s Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes has called for a change in how parents in Holyrood are supported after she announced her decision to stand down.

Ms Forbes will not seek re-election in the Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch constituency next year, bringing to an end – for at least the next election cycle – one of the most promising political careers in Scotland.

In a letter to First Minister John Swinney, Ms Forbes said she did not want to “miss any more of the precious early years of family life”.

Ms Forbes – who has a two-year-old daughter and three step-daughters – pushed the Scottish Parliament to be better for those with young families working in politics.

The parliament was viewed as a more family-friendly version of the Westminster legislature, but recent years have seen a

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