SNP leadership contender Kate Forbes has said having children outside marriage is “wrong” according to her faith.

During an interview with Sky news, she said: “It’s something I would seek to avoid, for me personally but it doesn’t fuss me, doesn’t put me up not down, the choices that other people make.”

Asked if it is right or is it wrong in her view, she replied: “My faith would say that children, that sex is for marriage and that’s the approach that I would practice but…”

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Asked if it is wrong for people to have children outside of marriage, she added: “You’re asking me would I impose my views on other people, in terms of me personally, that is the approach I would practice.”

When pressed if she thought it was wrong Forbes said: “I think for me it would be wrong according to my faith”.

The Finance Secretary is standing to be SNP leader and First Minister, up against Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan.

Her views based on her Christian faith as a member of the Free Church of Scotland have come under scrutiny with questions asked of her about same-sex marriage and gender recognition reform.

Forbes, previously said she would have voted against equal marriage in Scotland if she had been an MSP when the bill passed in 2014.

Meanwhile, Humza Yousaf has said his views on equality are clear, when asked about Forbes's statements on equal marriage.

Speaking to the BBC, he said: "It's for her to defend her views, I've made my views very clear.

"I think my track record on equality issues speaks loud and clear.

He added: "I'm a minority in this country, I have been my entire life and my rights don't exist in some kind of vacuum, my rights are interdependent on other people's rights and therefore I believe very firmly, in fact with every fibre in my being, that your equality is my equality, therefore I'll always fight for the equal rights of others regardless of who they are."