The SNP are forging ahead with their crackdown on football bigotry despite united condemnation from opposition MSPs.
In a surprise move, all four opposition parties and independent Margo MacDonald released a statement on Thursday accusing the SNP of ”exploiting” their parliamentary majority to pass ”flawed legislation”.
The unprecedented development followed an afternoon of heated exchanges on the anti-sectarianism legislation drafted in the wake of a series of high-profile incidents at football matches.
The bill will create two offences relating to behaviour deemed to ”incite religious, racial or other forms of hatred” in and around football grounds and online. Those convicted could spend as long as five years in prison and be banned from football grounds.
The measures were introduced as emergency legislation meaning they would have been fast-tracked through parliament but First Minister Alex Salmond agreed to delay amid opposition anger.
However, many MSPs remain unconvinced by elements of the bill. The statement insisted all parties want to ”root out” sectarianism from Scottish society, but that there was a need for consensus.
It said: ”The SNP government has failed to make the case for the changes to the law it proposes. Concerns have been raised about this bill by the Law Society of Scotland, the Scottish Human Rights Commission, the Scottish Justices Association, anti-sectarianism organisations, football supporters’ groups, religious organisations and children’s charities. Their powerful voices deserve to be listened to.
”That is why we have come together to send the strongest possible message to the SNP Government to stop, take a breath, and talk to other parties, to the clubs and to the many others concerned about these proposals rather than using their majority to force through this flawed legislation.”
The MSPs added that they had concerns the bill was being driven by a desire ”to be seen to do something” about the issue, which has garnered negative media attention.
The statement said: ”We believe a more effective response to dealing with the problems in relation to Scottish football would include giving greater consideration to the use of existing laws, to working with football authorities and promoting positive interventions in communities and the education system.
”If the SNP Government exploit their majority to force through this rushed, flawed piece of legislation there is a real risk it will do more harm than good.”
Earlier, justice committee convener Christine Grahame led a debate on the committee’s report on the bill. Labour’s James Kelly suggested Community Safety Minister Roseanna Cunningham had been ”badly prepared” when she appeared before the committee to give evidence, resulting in confusion over what would constitute an offence.
He said events over the summer, including convictions for sectarian singing and inappropriate comments on Facebook, demonstrated the use of existing laws.
But Ms Cunningham said Mr Kelly had offered nothing constructive to the debate.
The Perthshire South and Kinross-shire MSP called on MSPs for support, adding: ”The task for us now is not to question whether action is necessary but rather to set out what we need to do and how we need to do it to deliver on the commitment made to Scotland in June.”
MSPs subsequently voted 53-64 against a Labour motion which said the government has failed to ”make the case” for the bill. The legislation will pass to the third and final stage of parliamentary scrutiny before becoming law.