Paisley politician speaks out at Holyrood - Scotland

From the Paisley Daily Express

A Paisley politician insisted that Scots must do more to tackle stereotypes and negative attitudes towards race and religion.

Mary Fee spoke out during a Member’s debate at the Scottish Parliament.

She said: “In the last 12 months, the Equal Opportunities Committee has undertaken two inquiries into Gypsy Travellers, and concluded that it still seems socially acceptable to discriminate and stereotype Gypsy Travellers, something often perpetuated by the media.

“It seems to be that the travellers are the only ethnic group that it is socially acceptable to discriminate against, which is 100 per cent wrong.

“This needs to end if Scotland is to tackle racism in all its forms and become the progressive and tolerant nation that we know it can be.”

However, Mrs Fee praised the work of campaigns such as ‘I Speak for Myself’, which is run by Amina, the Muslim Women’s Resource Centre.

Mrs Fee, a list MSP for the West of Scotland who is based in Paisley, said: “Campaigns such as ‘I Speak for Myself’ help bring community cohesion and continue to show that Scotland is a welcoming nation.”