Politicians have launched an attack on Scotland’s local authorities, accusing them of perpetuating discrimination against Gypsy/Travelling communities.
Councillors were castigated in the Scottish Parliament’s debate chamber for supposed anti-Traveller rhetoric.
Relations between the ethnic minority group and the nation’s cities, towns and villages were described as the “the biggest community challenge the country faces”.
Taxpayers’ money will now be used to fund a campaign intended to teach the “settled community” about their traditions and way of life.
The claims were made during a debate by members of the Scottish Parliament’s Equal Opportunities Committee, in which the chamber was told that Travellers continue to face daily prejudice and marginalisation at the hands of other Scots.
A new report presented to the committee identified the need for better access to education and medical care and for improvements in the accommodation and living conditions experienced by the community.
There was criticism of many local authority sites across the country, with the claim that lack of sites was one of the root causes of unauthorised occupation of private land.
Committee convener Margaret McCulloch said a lack of leadership at a local, regional and national level was at least partly to blame.
She called for “zero tolerance” to discrimination, signalled the intention to run a national awareness-raising campaign and called for a “tangible” action plan.
Minister for Welfare and Housing Margaret Burgess said members of the Travellers’ community continued to face “widespread discrimination and abuse”.
“If this was any other ethnic minority group the level of prejudice displayed throughout our communities would be wholly unacceptable,” she said.
Former committee convener Mary Fee went further, saying: “Relations between Gypsy/Traveller and settled communities represent the biggest community challenge this country faces.
“What I call ‘respectable racism’ is a challenge faced on a daily basis by the travelling community.”
She criticised local councillors, highlighting in particular the comments of Dundee Councillor Ken Guild.
He called on city residents to play their part in making sure members of one particular group of Travellers did not visit Dundee by refusing to give them work.
The comments were made in the wake of a series of unauthorised encampments, rubbish clean-ups that cost the council tens of thousands of pounds and allegations of shoddy workmanship.
Ms Fee, however, said: “How can we expect the public to change its attitude when discrimination is perpetrated in this fashion by elected councillors?”
Committee members did recognise the problem of unauthorised encampments and the disquiet they cause communities.
Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser said: “The emergence of unauthorised Traveller camps is a pressing matter for local authorities.
“In some instances when Travellers move on, these unauthorised sites are left in a filthy state, covered in rubbish, dog waste and even excrement.”
North East Tory MSP Alex Johnstone agreed, highlighting problems in Grampian and saying that ordinary families faced with illegal camps near their homes received no support from the authorities.