Douglas Ross says the hate crime act isn't working well
More Videos
0 seconds of 56 seconds Volume 90%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts Keyboard Shortcuts EnabledDisabled
Shortcuts Open/Close / or ?
Play/Pause SPACE
Increase Volume ↑
Decrease Volume ↓
Seek Forward →
Seek Backward ←
Captions On/Off c
Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreen f
Mute/Unmute m
Decrease Caption Size -
Increase Caption Size + or =
Seek % 0-9
Next Up
Police investigating whether Angela Rayner broke electoral law
01:13
twitter facebook Email Link https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/z17MIJKp Copied
Live
00:00
00:56
00:56
More Videos
Close
Humza Yousaf was left reeling after the Tories and Labour tore into his leadership on two major issues at First Minister’s Questions.
The Tories’ Douglas Ross led on the ongoing farce surrounding the SNP’s hate crime law, which saw 7,000 reports made to the police in the first week.
by Taboola by Taboola
Sponsored Link Sponsored Link
Promoted Links Promoted Links
Lean Switch
Lemon Juice For Weight Loss: The Key Mistake People MakeLean Switch Learn More
Undo
Amid warnings from front-line officers that they “can’t cope” with the new workload generated by Mr Yousaf’s pet policy, Mr Ross accused the First Minister of being the only man in Scotland who still believes the act has been a success.
He blasted: “We warned this law was too vague, it was poorly defined, it wouldn’t work.
“Now Scotland’s legal experts have said the same. Alistair Bonnington, hon professor of law at Glasgow Uni, said the law was 'extremely dangerous’ and ‘could see entirely respectable and reasonable citizens prosecuted for expressing viewpoints which the law would allow in almost every country in the world’.
Sponsored
Merrell Moab 3
Merrell Moab 3 Shop Now
Moab 3 Summer Clearance Sale Only $25!
Undo
by Taboola by Taboola
READ MORE: Humiliation for Humza Yousaf as SNP dealt poll blow after by-election defeat
A furious Mr Yousaf was laughed at during FMQs (Image: Scottish Parliament)
“A recent poll found that over two-thirds of Scots thought his Act should be repealed. Why does Humza Yousaf think that he’s right and the public are wrong?”
Mr Yousaf was barracked when he accused opponents of his Hate Crime Act of being “bad-faith actors”, when two-thirds of Scots oppose the Bill.
He claimed he was merely talking about “the Conservative party, Neo Nazis, those in the far right who were organising and orchestrating complaints to go into Police Scotland. They are by any stretch of the imagination, bad faith actors”.
A passionate Tory leader hit back: “Humza Yousaf is sitting here saying ‘everything is fine’ with his legislation!”
“Just like he did with the ferried he couldn’t get to sail, the trains he couldn’t get to run on time, the NHS waiting lists that grew under his stewardship.
“We warned him all of these problems with the Hate Crime Act would happen, we warned that police would be overwhelmed, the law was poorly written, it would put free speech at risk.
Don't miss...
SNP MP humiliated by Rishi Sunak's six-word response to parliamentary question [LATEST]
Penny Mordaunt takes swipe at Angela Rayner in blazing Commons attack on Labour [LATEST]
Rishi Sunak hit by double blow in nightmare new poll for Tories [LATEST]
Douglas Ross slammed Mr Yousaf for accusing Scottish voters of being 'bad faith actors' (Image: Scottish Parliament)
SUBSCRIBE Invalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
“He dismissed every single valid criticism! Humza Yousaf said he knew best… the only person in Scotland who seems to think this act is working well is Humza Yousaf! How on earth can he say that the Hate Crime Act has been a success?”
MSPs piled in to slam the First Minister, with Murdo Fraser tweeting: “This is just embarrassing, Humza Yousaf shouting in hysterical fashion in the Chamber.
“The clock is ticking down on him and his weak, failing administration, and he knows it.”
Fellow MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston quipped: “Humza Yousaf should have a stand up show at the Fringe. He’s certainly got folk laughing at him at FMQs today”.
On the other side of the Chamber, Mr Yousaf also came under attack from Scottish Labour after it emerged the SNP government is abandoning a key climate pledge.
Trending
This morning it was revealed that Scotland is ditching its pledge to cut carbon emissions by 75% by 2030.
Labour leader Anas Sarwar pointed out that when Rishi Sunak rolled back from some of Westminster’s Net Zero targets, the First Minister said he had “no intention of changing the target dates”, accusing Mr Sunak’s decision of being “unforgivable”.
“Today this SNP/Green Government is going to roll back on its climate commitments, so why is Humza Yousaf following the Tories’ lead?”
DON'T MISS
Powered by
Scotland deserves better than the blithering idiot Humza Yousaf
64 Comments
Humza Yousaf crisis as Scottish Greens file vote of no confidence in key ballot
77 Comments
Meet Humza Yousaf's fearsome arch-nemesis who will make or break SNP leader
45 Comments
Humza Yousaf facing biggest crisis yet as Green coalition on brink of collapse
400 Comments
Humza Yousaf denies he is 'weak and hopeless' as he insists crisis shows 'leadership'
144 Comments
Humza Yousaf will struggle not to go down as Scotland's worst First Minister
16 Comments
POLL: Do you think Humza Yousaf is ‘weak and hopeless'? Vote here
251 Comments
Humza Yousaf on resignation watch ahead of knife-edge confidence vote
218 Comments
'Karma's a b****!' JK Rowling takes brutal dig at Humza Yousaf with SNP leader on brink
231 Comments
Humza Yousaf horror show with SNP chief now facing fatal no-confidence vote
89 Comments
Scotland deserves better than the blithering idiot Humza Yousaf
64 Comments
Humza Yousaf crisis as Scottish Greens file vote of no confidence in key ballot
77 Comments
Meet Humza Yousaf's fearsome arch-nemesis who will make or break SNP leader
45 Comments
Humza Yousaf facing biggest crisis yet as Green coalition on brink of collapse
400 Comments
Humza Yousaf denies he is 'weak and hopeless' as he insists crisis shows 'leadership'
144 Comments
Humza Yousaf will struggle not to go down as Scotland's worst First Minister
16 Comments
POLL: Do you think Humza Yousaf is ‘weak and hopeless'? Vote here
251 Comments
Humza Yousaf on resignation watch ahead of knife-edge confidence vote
218 Comments
'Karma's a b****!' JK Rowling takes brutal dig at Humza Yousaf with SNP leader on brink
231 Comments
Humza Yousaf horror show with SNP chief now facing fatal no-confidence vote
89 Comments
Scotland deserves better than the blithering idiot Humza Yousaf
64 Comments
Humza Yousaf crisis as Scottish Greens file vote of no confidence in key ballot
77 Comments
Mr Yousaf sparked laughter when accusing the claim of being “untrue” and a “mischaracterisation”.
Mr Sarwar hit back: “We voted for your targets! And that was such an embarrassing response”.
“That embarrassing argument might have worked with Patrick Harvey and Lorna Slater, but it’s not working with the Scottish People!”
Related articles Truss explains the conspiracy which blocked a Brexit US trade deal with Trump Brexit will fail unless we learn from the lessons of Truss's political defeats Tory MPs ditching Boris was a bigger mistake than anything I did, says Liz Truss Desperate lefty mob's bid to protect Rayner with attacks on divorced Tory MP Reform insurgence sparks panic from top Tory facing humiliating mayoral defeat