The Scottish Government should be less risk-averse, the Deputy First Minister has said.

Kate Forbes, who also has responsibility for the economy, announced earlier this year she would be standing down at the next election.

Before the announcement, she had been regarded as a potential future first minister to follow John Swinney, but decided to step away to be able to spend more time with her family.

Speaking to the PA news agency at her final SNP conference as an MSP, Forbes urged the government to become more willing to take economic risks, particularly around investments made by the Scottish National Investment Bank.

“I think also maybe there’s there’s probably too much risk aversion,” she said. “In the investment side of things, if we’re too risk-averse, then you never back the new

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