Hansard

I congratulate my colleague Alasdair Morrison on securing the debate. It is especially timely, given that an old firm derby is to be held this weekend and watched by religious leaders, including the moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Right Rev Alan McDonald, and Cardinal Keith O'Brien.

I join members in praising the work that is being carried out by both sides of Glasgow's old firm. I have witnessed first hand the innovative work being carried out by both the old firm alliance and Glasgow City Council's sense over sectarianism campaign, most recently as a guest at the launch of a joint event between Blairdardie and St Ninian's primary schools in my constituency. It is heartening to see football being used as a means to bring young people together, not just to learn about other traditions but to gain a fuller, more rounded understanding of their own.

There can be no doubt that the Glasgow clubs have taken significant strides in attempting to deal with the sectarian element that has attached itself to them. I welcome the steps that have been taken in providing positive educational messages through their learning centres, the attempts to stop the singing of songs that could be seen as hurtful to others and the clubs' strong support for the sense over sectarianism campaign.

However, we should not kid ourselves that those steps are anything other than a good start on which to build. I want the clubs, the Scottish Football Association and the Scottish Football League to engage fully with the Scottish Executive, police, anti-sectarian organisations such as Nil by Mouth and the supporters to ensure that we continue to make tangible progress.

Nevertheless, although it may be true that sectarianism is at its most visible in and around our football stadiums, we should not fall into the trap of dismissing it merely as a football problem. It runs much deeper than that. I was struck by the comments last week of the Celtic manager Gordon Strachan, when he was asked about the disgraceful abuse aimed at Jason Scotland by a tiny section of the crowd at a Scottish cup game a few days earlier. Strachan said that racism was not just a football problem. In truth, there are racists who go to football games and behave appallingly, and the same could be said of those who use football as an excuse to peddle sectarian hatred. Football does not breed those attitudes; rather, they are merely a symptom of a more entrenched problem affecting communities across Scotland.

Sectarianism is still a real problem in Scottish society. I would go so far as to call it a cancer, which is why I praise the leadership shown by both the First Minister and the Executive in acknowledging the problem and having the courage to tackle it.

The Executive drew up Scotland's first national action plan aimed at tackling sectarianism directly. The action plan highlights 18 key action points that the Government continues to work on in relation to sport, education and marches and parades.

As politicians, we have a duty not to shy away from acknowledging the existence of the problem of sectarianism and a duty to do all that is in our power to come up with ways of tackling it.

It should not be said that sectarianism can be defeated by Governments or legislation alone. Each part of Scottish society has a role to play in stamping out sectarian behaviour. I am heartened that, in recent years, the debate on sectarianism has been treated responsibly by sections of the media, including the Glasgow Evening Times, trade unions, many employers and faith leaders, who have shown leadership and a willingness to sit down together to discuss the issues on an ecumenical basis. Those are examples of steps that have been taken to move forward.

In my remaining time, I want to pay tribute to the work of the Nil by Mouth charity, which was set up as a result of the brutal sectarian murder of 16-year-old Mark Scott, in keeping the issue in the public eye and challenging sectarian attitudes. Nil by Mouth offers a wide range of services, including workshops that focus on raising awareness of issues relating to sectarianism. Later this month, it will launch its manifesto for the Scottish Parliament elections. I hope that every party and every candidate will seriously consider that document's recommendations.

Sectarianism did not appear in our society overnight. Its origins are deep rooted and complex. Therefore, we cannot expect it to disappear suddenly. We must continue to invest in educational initiatives and awareness-raising campaigns. Football clubs, politicians, trade unionists and employers must play their parts in taking effective action against those who refuse to accept that sectarianism in any shape or form is anathema to 21st century Scottish society.

I support the motion in the name of my colleague Alasdair Morrison and I again congratulate him on securing the debate.