SENIOR Labour Party figures have again called for the scrapping of Scotland's controversial laws around sectarianism at football.
SENIOR Labour Party figures have again called for the scrapping of Scotland's controversial laws around sectarianism at football.
Deputy leader of Glasgow City Council, Archie Graham, described the Offensive Behaviour and Football Act as "ineffectual" and that it merely demonised supporters.
In a motion at this week's full council, Cllr Graham will call for a raft of changes to the professional and amateur football.
He is the latest in Labour to call for the abolition of the Offensive Behaviour Act, the most recent being Jim Murphy, who is the leading candidate to succeed Cllr Graham's wife Johann Lamont as party leader in Scotland later this week.
But SNP sources have accused Labour of "playing with fire" on the issue, warning it could backfire.
Sources within fans' organisations have also expressed some cynicism about it becoming an issue for Labour.
Cllr Graham's motion states: "Council recognises the significant contribution made to the city from professional and amateur football and notes that
in addition to three senior professional clubs, hundreds of junior, amateur and youth teams compete across the city every week; resolves to continue to work with clubs and supporter groups to ensure that they continue to contribute positively to the reputation of the city; believes that the positive reputation of the football supporters would be enhanced by the repeal of the Scottish Government's ineffectual 'Offensive Behaviour and Football Act' and joins calls to that effect; renews it's call for the professional clubs in the city to pay their staff the Glasgow living wage."
An SNP source added: "Archie is playing the messiah here. This is not an issue which most football fans rank as important. There are far more important issues to fans which Archie and the council have a say over, including safe standing areas."
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