Tonight the SNP, Greens, Lib Dems and Labour forced through the Hate Crime Bill whilst the Scottish Conservatives tried to stop it.
The Scottish Conservatives strongly opposed the attacks on freedom of speech throughout the SNP’s Hate Crime Bill.
Under pressure, Humza Yousaf did partially U-turn, however, he has never accepted how badly the SNP got this wrong. The Bill is still riddled with glaring flaws.
We voted against the SNP’s Hate Crime Bill because it is a danger to freedom of speech. Criminalising what people say in their own home is too extreme.
We agree that hate crime should be rooted out but the SNP should not have allowed a fundamental right to be trampled on in the process.