SNP and Labour clash over new Glasgow East MP's 'racism' allegation

CONTROVERSIAL comments by Scotland's newest Member of Parliament dominated First Minister's Questions at Holyrood today.

A newspaper article written by John Mason MP, who won the recent Glasgow East by-election for the SNP, claimed critics of a councillor pictured with a Kalashnikov assault rifle were "racist".

Labour leader Cathy Jamieson used today's parliamentary session to demand an apology from First Minister Alex Salmond over Mason's comments, which challenged condemnation of Glasgow councillor Jahangir Hanif and insisted it was wrong to oppose the use of guns in other countries.

The councillor, who was pictured with the gun during a visit to Pakistan with his children, has been suspended by the SNP for two months.

Ms Jamieson demanded: "Will the First Minister now apologise for those comments made by his colleague?"

Mr Salmond told her: "Not for a second does John Mason accuse that range of people, or somebody else commenting on what John Mason said, as being racist.

Mr Salmond said the whole chamber should deplore racism "wherever it emerges".

And he suggested Labour was trying to seek party advantage through "what somebody might have said about somebody".

He also accused Ms Jamieson of raising "internal party matters" rather than First Ministerial issues.

Mr Mason's comments appeared today in Glasgow's Evening Times, after Labour's Margaret Curran challenged him to support critics who said the two-month suspension imposed on the councillor was too lenient.

Mr Mason told the paper: "The repeated attacks on the SNP's councillor Hanif are coming across as thinly-disguised racism.

"Many countries in the world allow guns to be used freely."

He also said: "While being opposed to freely available guns, including airguns, in Scotland, I totally support the right of other countries to take a different view.

"Once we start implying other countries are second-rate because they have a different opinion from us, we are surely being racist."

The MP also said he thought the two-month suspension was "perhaps a bit severe".

Ms Jamieson said Mr Mason believed the councillor had been treated "harshly" by being suspended for two months.

Told by Presiding Officer Alex Fergusson that this appeared to be a party rather than a political matter, she said: "I appreciate that there are matters to do with the party.

"I also think this is something the people of Scotland are concerned about."

Mr Salmond told MSPs he believed it was a party matter and said he would try to keep his comments within the range of First Ministerial responsibilities.

"Perhaps the Labour Party would like to join with the justice secretary in taking action against the guns that are available in Scotland, and supporting with us our claim on Westminster that this Parliament should have the right to restrict air guns access across the whole of Scotland," he said.

Labour in Scotland chooses its new leader on Saturday and Ms Jamieson is one of the three contenders.

Mr Salmond told MSPs: "There are a whole range of issues for which I have responsibility across Scottish society as First Minister – I would like to see this Parliament have a lot more responsibilities.

"If she is successful in her competition this Saturday, perhaps in future she might choose from one of that array of subjects and not about internal party matters."

• ANOTHER issue raised at FMQs today was the proposal for a new Scottish digital channel.

Alex Salmond called on the broadcasting industry to respond constructively to a report calling for such a channel.

The proposal was at the heart of recommendations in a report by the Scottish Broadcasting Commission this week and already has the support of Mr Salmond.

Alongside the launch of the new Gaelic channel BBC Alba on Monday, Mr Salmond said the new channel marks a "significant and exciting time" for broadcasting in Scotland.

"The Scottish Government will respond positively to the report within our powers to do so later this year," he said during First Minister's Questions today.

"We look to the UK Government and the broadcasting authorities themselves to respond in the same constructive spirit to an independent report which enjoyed cross-party membership and a degree, at least, of support."