Scottish Catholic Observer

Elaine Smith, who has been an MSP since 1999, said that ‘in our increasingly liberal society, Christianity is being met with intolerance and within that there is extra intolerance towards Roman Catholics.’

Mrs Smith recently tabled questions to the Scottish Government asking what they intended to do about recent rises in anti-Catholic hate crime, and she said she was disappointed with the government’s response.

“I do think they need to take these rises on board,” she said. “Anti-Catholic hate crimes should be tackled head on.”

She said in the last few years it had become clear there was ‘no room for debate and discussion on difference of views on religious belief.’

“My personal experience of this started a few years ago when I voted against same-sex marriage, and I was inundated with letters, emails and tweets denouncing me as homophobic,” she said. “I’ve got nothing in common with Jacob Rees-Mogg but I feel he has been attacked simply for expressing his religious beliefs. Personally I think some of his other views should be under the microscope.”

She said there was a failure to ­recognise the good done by Christians and Catholics in society.

“Catholics offer so much to keep society going,” she said. “The food banks, the homeless shelters, the soup kitchens—there’s a lot there that should be celebrated.”

“It’s deeply worrying that the contribution of Christianity is not celebrated or even tolerated—and no doubt I’ll get monstered for saying this.”