Opposition parties are preparing to launch a strike on a controversial law designed to defeat sectarianism in football.
The SNP used its majority to pass the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act in 2012 in the face of strong protests from other parties.
But the Nationalists’ failure to win most of the seats in this month’s Holyrood election leaves the legislation vulnerable, in what has the potential to be a bruising early encounter for the SNP in the new-look Scottish Parliament.
The Conservatives and Labour are mobilising against the act, with all of Holyrood’s opposition parties pledging to fight the parts of the legislation they do not like.
Scottish Conservative chief whip John Lamont said: “We want to work with other opposition parties on this to ensure parliamentary time is provided over the coming weeks and months so we can act without delay.
“We believe there is a majority in the new parliament to end this absurd law.
“With opposition parties working together, we can now get on with the job of holding the SNP to account.”
Labour MSP James Kelly, who wants to bring forward a private member’s bill to scrap it, said: “The law has become a symbol of the SNP’s arrogance in government. No other party supported the law but the SNP used their majority to bulldoze it through anyway.”
A Scottish Liberal Democrats spokesman said the SNP pushed it through with a “bulldozer majority” and added: “Now they have lost seats they have to listen to other voices.”
Patrick Harvie, co-convener of the Scottish Greens, said it is a “bad piece of legislation” which should be changed through a parliamentary committee.
The legislation criminalised offensive and threatening behaviour, including sectarian behaviour, related to football matches and any communications containing threats or incitement to religious hatred.
Opponents say it unfairly singles out law-abiding football fans, burns bridges between police and fans and is unworkable.
An SNP spokesman said it “speaks volumes” about Labour’s priorities to see them “teaming up” with the Tories again.
“Opinion polls show this measure is widely supported by people across Scotland, and the public will take a dim view of the opposition using this for political games,” he said.
