BY Ian Dunn | November 6 | 
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Scottish Labour’s bid to scrap anti-bigotry football legislation fails
Catholic MP Jim Murphy, one of the candidates to lead the Scottish Labour Party, says getting rid of the controversial Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) remains a top priority
The Scottish Government yesterday quashed an attempt at Holyrood to repeal the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act.
However, Catholic MP Jim Murphy (above), one of the candidates to lead the Scottish Labour Party, said he repealing the bill would be done ‘right away’ should he become First Minister.
A Labour motion calling for the ‘flawed’ legislation to be dumped was defeated by 68 votes to 50 after a debate at the Scottish Parliament yesterday afternoon.
SNP MSP Roseanna Cunningham, the Community Safety and Legal Affairs Minister, said there were ‘welcome indications of success’ as a result of the law that gained Royal Assent in January 2012. Ms Cunningham, who is also Catholic, told MSPs there had been ‘decreases in offences of religious hatred and offending under the act’ as she insisted ‘it is working.’
Scottish Labour has vowed to appeal the legislation—which has been criticised by some football clubs and was greeted with reservations within Church circles— if it wins the next Holyrood election in 2016.
Mr Murphy, who is standing for the Labour leadership after the resignation of Johann Lamont, said: “If I am elected Scottish Labour Party leader and first minister I will scrap the Football Act right away.
“The law was an attempt to chase headlines rather than actually fix a complex problem. Sectarianism and intolerance goes far beyond 90 minutes on a Saturday or 140 characters in a tweet.”
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