BY Ian Dunn | November 4 | 
2 COMMENTS 
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MSPs unite against SNP anti-sectarianism bill
Labour Catholic MSPs have led resistance to the Scottish Government’s anti-sectarianism legislation as members of all the opposition parties united to implore the SNP not to use their majority to force through the bill.
The Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Bill was debated on the floor of the Scottish Parliament for the first time yesterday. Despite the opposition, the SNP were able to use their majority to ensure parliamentarians passed it on to the next stage of the legislative process.
Labour’s Community Safety spokesman, James Kelly—a Catholic—said the bill lacked clarity and was focused too narrowly on sectarianism in football.
He added that Community Safety Minister Ms Cunningham had compromised the bill by being ‘badly prepared’ when she appeared before the committee to give evidence, resulting in confusion over what would constitute an offence.
“That undermined the credibility of the bill,” he said. That was one of the main reasons why the timetable had to be extended.”
Mr Kelly also questioned why this legislation needed ‘when the current legislation was being used so effectively?’
Hie concerns were echoed by fellow Catholic Labour MSP Michael McMahon who said the bill would ‘rip through the fabric of this country and leave it in tatters.’
After the debate Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat, Green MSPs and Margo MacDonald released a joint statement urging the government not to ‘force through’ the ‘flawed legislation.’
However Community Safety Minister Roseanna Cunningham said the SNP were determined to continue with the legislation because the overwhelming majority of people in Scotland backed the ambition to tackle the problem. “I still hope we can find common purpose,” she said. “I do believe that coming out against this bill before a single amendment is laid is premature.”
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91% of Scots have supported action against sectarianism in football in a recent poll. It is a cancer in Scottish society that is long overdue for attention.
Police and prosecutors have made plain that current laws do not address the issue of football related violence. Sectarian and drink fuelled ugly hatred that sees up to 200 E&A casualties per game weekend, plus hundreds of battered wives, mass drunken hooliganism, as well as costing the community a fortune in money and diverting up to 500 police from duties that could have reduced other crimes.Decent citizens are disgusted and want effective action taken That is just a few reasons for the Bill for starters.
It is a disgrace to the other parties that they have tolerated this evil in their midst for so long and now oppose, for the sake of thwarting the SNP. The weak rationalisations for similar opposition for opposition’s sake resulted in the Labour wipe out in May and will stoke the further wipe out in the coming municipal elections. The public see through these negative tactics and are not impressed.
There appears to be no end to the number of new labour msp’s (Catholic or otherwise) who are lining up to do nothing to help bring and end to sectarianism in this country. What I find particularly disturbing is their (new found?) Catholicism when it suits their political ends.
I would give them far more credit if they would suggest a viable alternative, and the view that the bill focuses ‘too narrowly’ on football is exactly my point – what do these msps believe IS acceptable at a football ground (as if such a place is in some way immune from the law)! Personally I don’t accept the ’90-minute’ bigot as harmless banter or a bit of fun. The point they are clearly missing is the existing legislation they are keen to talk about is not working effectively.
I am always interested when, particularly new labour politicians, wave their Catholic credentials on certain subjects in the hope to secure the ‘catholic vote’ (if such a thing still exists) and seem reluctant to come to the Catholic press with their views on, say abortion or the war Iraq.