Just over 1 per cent of all hate crime reports made in Scotland since tough new speech rules were introduced were found to be legitimate, as confusion continues to engulf Prime Minister Humza Yousaf’s huge bill. .
On 1 April, the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 came into force, making it illegal to ‘incite hatred’ in vague terms against people from protected classes such as the elderly, disabled, LGBT or racial minorities. ” was punishable by up to seven years in prison. In prison. The strict measures apply even to comments made inside one’s own home, and do not take into account the speaker’s intentions, only whether they incite hatred.
Police Scotland has received 9,400 complaints since it came into force three weeks ago, with law enforcement already struggling to deal with a rise in thefts and struggling in the face of Europe’s leading drug epidemic. continuing.
However, only 0.6 percent of hate speech reports are deemed legitimate. according to to timesThis meant that valuable human time was wasted investigating almost every complaint lodged with the police, who promised to consider every report lodged with them under the law.
Critics of the speech controls, including senior police officers such as David Threadgold, chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, have warned that the new laws could be easily used by activists for political purposes or by members of the public simply seeking personal vendettas. ing. Resentment.
Ruling Scottish National Party’s approval rating drops to lowest in 10 years due to confusion over hate speech laws https://t.co/EicPx2LdmR
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) April 12, 2024
To the embarrassment of First Minister Humza Yousaf, Scotland’s first Muslim leader and champion of speech regulation, the law’s persistent use worked against him, and in 2020 Yousaf revealed how many white people there are. Police were flooded with numerous calls in response to his infamous rant. In Scotland, a 96% white country, people held positions of authority.
There were so many reports against Yousaf that Police Scotland is said to have given officers a script to explain why the First Minister’s comments did not violate hate speech laws.
The chaotic rollout of the bill further complicates the political problems facing Mr Yousaf, who has already come under fire for overstating Scotland’s socialized health care system, with the left-wing separatist Scottish National Party (SNP) There are reports suggesting that he may be seeking a successor. him before the next general election.
Efforts to oust Yousaf were reportedly strengthened by his declining approval ratings, with even members of his own party turning against the controversial leader. A poll this month found that just 29% of SNP voters felt Mr Yousaf was doing a good job as prime minister.
Meanwhile, his centerpiece hate speech laws are also unpopular, with only 21% of Scots backing them, compared to 45% who support repealing the speech code. .
‘Big mistake’ – Scottish Conservatives call for repeal of new hate speech lawshttps://t.co/yVqL49XoDs
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) April 15, 2024
