GB News presenter Emily Carver has hit out at ‘ludicrous’ new hate crime legislation from the SNP.
She spoke to a former councillor from the party, Austin Sheridan, who sought to defend Hamza Yousaf’s new bill aimed deterring the ‘stirring up of hatred’.
Sheridan was questioned about the bill’s practicalities, with police expected to look into each complaint lodged.
“The police are well trained and equipped and I’ve got faith in our police and justice system that they will be able to carry this out efficiently”, he said.
Emily Carver has blasted the SNP's new legislation
GETTY / GB NEWS
“It’s worth remembering that this bill has been passed with cross party support barring the Scottish Conservatives.
“The SNP, the Labour Party, the Green Party and the Liberal Democrats have backed this.
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JK Rowling is among those to have criticised the bill
PA
Austin Sheridan joined Tom Harwood and Emily Carver for a lively discussion on GB News
GB NEWS
“It’s been in the making for a few years, so it’s not the case that anything has been rushed through in Parliament.
GB News’ Tom Harwood intervened to question whether ‘everything’ will have to be investigated to the police once something deemed offensive is said.
“If there is something that has been said that is deemed to be offensive, then the police will take reasonable measures”, Sheridan responded.
Emily Carver hit back to say “offence has got to be the price we pay for freedom”, adding she believes the new legislation is “ludicrous”.
Elon Musk and JK Rowling are among its critics, claiming the new law could harm free speech.
Senior police officers say they expect to be faced with a flood of complaints about online posts.
But the Scottish government insists the law provides protection from hate and prejudice with no stifling of individual expression.
“I think there has been a lot of misinformation”, said the Victims and Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown.
The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 creates a new crime of “stirring up hatred” relating to age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity or being intersex.
Offenders could be dealt with a prison sentence of seven years.
