AN SNP MSP has privately admitted the party’s controversial anti-bigotry law isn’t working.

Richard Lyle said the law banning sectarian songs at football games was “too sweeping”, didn’t work as intended, and legislation was not always the answer to such social problems.

The Central Scotland list MSP said “other approaches” should be taken to the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Act (OBFA) of 2012.

His comments were made to fellow SNP members in the summer in an online SNP discussion, the contents of which have been leaked.

Lyle, the SNP candidate in Labour-held Uddingston & Bellshill, also said he would actively “push for Referendum 2: The Sequel” in order to deliver independence in the discussion.

The OBFA has been criticised by fan groups as an attack on civil liberties, although recent research found it was supported by 80 per cent of the public.

Asked about the OBFA by North Lanarkshire councillor Steven Bonnar, Lyle, who voted for the law, replied: “My personal opinion is that the Act is too wide sweeping in its approach and doesn’t work in practice as well as it should or could have.

“Legislation isn’t always the answer to questions over problems within our society.

“There can be no denying that here in Scotland and in the west in particular we have a significant and long term problem with sectarianism. For me however there are other approaches we should take. A lot of the issues are deep rooted, generational and societal.”

Lyle recommended a “wide ranging and holistic approach” with children taught to be tolerant.

“Education is one root (sic) which we can take and is a strand to a wider approach. I would push for the Government to undertake their fuller review on the OBFA and take it from there.”

Dr Stuart Waiton, senior sociology lecturer at Abertay University and author of Snob’s Law, a book on the OBFA, urged other SNP MSPs to be as sceptical as Lyle.

“This is arguably the most authoritarian piece of legislation in modern times in Britain. That you can go to prison for five years for being offensive at a football match is insane.”

The OBFA followed a spate of violent incidents in the 2010-11 football season, including 35 arrests and a clash between club managers at an Old Firm game.

Celtic manager Neil Lennon was also targeted with parcel bombs and live bullets in the post, and lunged at by a Hearts fan at the Tynecastle dugout.

In response, the government pushed the OBFA through parliament in a few months, creating new offences around inciting religious hatred and offensive chanting associated with football.

However opposition parties said the legislation was being “railroaded” through Holyrood and only SNP MSPs voted for it - all other MSPs abstained.

In the wake of a recent evaluation of the OBFA, the government said it was now “exploring positive alternatives to prosecution for young people through early intervention, voluntary work and formal warnings”.

A spokeswoman said: “We remain actively engaged with clubs and fans and will continue to work closely with relevant organisations and agencies to ensure this legislation achieves what it set out to do, stamping out prejudice and bigotry from football in Scotland once and for all.”

Lyle did not return calls.