LABOUR’S James Kelly has been branded “irresponsible” over his attempt to have the Scottish Government’s Offensive Behaviour Act scrapped. An SNP MSP even accused him of undermining the fight against sectarianism.
Holyrood’s justice committee is currently scrutinising Kelly’s Members Bill which would see the act, which came into force in 2012, repealed. Polls suggest the legislation is popular with the public, but it has caused controversy among some football fans.
The law criminalises “threatening, hateful or otherwise offensive behaviour at a regulated football match including offensive singing or chanting”. More than 370 people were charged under the act last season. There has been some support for the act from charities.
The legislation was the first in the history of the Scottish Parliament to have been passed without cross-party support.
The SNP’s George Adam said: “James Kelly is utterly irresponsible in seeking to erode the powers our police currently have to tackle bigotry, just to land a political blow.
“He is a politician doggedly pursuing a self-serving agenda – entirely focused on his own political interests, but deaf to the views of the vast majority of people across Scotland.”
Adam added: “If James Kelly had a modicum of political sense he’d find a new political hobby horse and drop his obsession with undermining the fight against sectarianism.”
Kelly dismissed Adam’s criticism, saying: “Time is running out for the Football Act. The Football Act has been a failed PR stunt for the Nationalists.”
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