Tories urge MSPs to back their call for Hate Crime Act to be repealed

The Scottish Conservatives will call on MSPs to back their motion on repealing the Hate Crime Act during a debate at Holyrood on Wednesday.

The party is using its business slot at the Scottish Parliament to table a vote on whether the legislation should be scrapped.

The Act came into force on April 1, with more than 7,000 complaints being made under it in the first week.

Critics, including some celebrities like Elon Musk, say it restricts freedom of speech.

However, First Minister Humza Yousaf has strongly backed the law and accused opponents of spreading “misinformation” about it.

The Tories say the Hate Crime Act is straining police resources and the legislation is unworkable.

The SNP and Scottish Green majority at Holyrood means the motion to repeal the law will almost certainly fall, but the Conservatives are appealing for other opposition parties and “more sensible nationalists” to back their position.

Labour and the Lib Dems supported the Bill when it was passed in 2021.

Scottish Conservative justice spokesman Russell Findlay MSP said: “Humza Yousaf’s disastrous hate crime law has caused utter chaos in the fortnight since its introduction.

“It is proving every bit as unworkable as many critics warned – and must be repealed.

“As well as being an unacceptable risk to free speech, it is taking a huge toll on Scotland’s police officers. They’re being deluged with thousands of complaints – many of them vexatious from individuals out to settle scores.

“Officer numbers are at their lowest level since 2008, and the police were already turning a blind eye to certain crimes, so this increased workload is completely unsustainable.”

Mr Findlay added: “We now appeal to Labour and Lib Dem MSPs – and the more sensible nationalists – to admit they made a huge mistake and back our call for its repeal.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The Hate Crime Act helps to tackle the harm caused by hatred and prejudice and provide greater protection for people in society and communities who face hatred just because of who they are.

“It does not prevent people expressing controversial, challenging or offensive views – nor does it seek to stifle criticism or rigorous debate in any way and the right to freedom of expression is built into the Act.

“Police Scotland has been clear that demand continues to be managed within its contact centres and the impact on frontline policing has been minimal.”

Speaking to journalists at the STUC annual congress in Dundee, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said issues around the implementation and communication of Act should be fixed and the issue is more complex than a “simple repeal”.

He said the law should be updated urgently to include sex and misogyny.

Mr Sarwar said: “The implementation of this has been an absolute disaster.

“And I don’t believe that what the government has implemented is actually reflective of the wishes or the intentions of the parliament.”