EMMA COWING: This law isn't an attack on hate... it's an attack on our very freedom

Back in the summer of 2020, when the world seemed febrile and unsettled, and the notion of any new laws that were not related to Covid seemed unthinkable, a group of artists, authors and campaigners wrote an open letter to the Scottish Government.

While the rest of us were focused on when we could eat in a restaurant with more than three others or set foot in an office again, the likes of Val McDermid, Rowan Atkinson and Elaine C Smith had one eye on the future.

In particular, the hate crime laws set to come into force this year. Concerned that the laws would impinge on free speech and artistic endeavour, they did not mince their words.

‘The arts play a key part in shaping Scotland’s identity in addition to being a significant economic contributor,’ they wrote.

‘The right to critique ideas, philosophical, religious and other must be protected to allow an artistic and democratic society to flourish.’

These worries are now upon us, and the new laws are set to be enshrined, without a whisker of irony, on April 1. And while ministers insist that changes have been made to safeguard artistic freedom, many remain fearful about the possible repercussions for actors and stand-up comedians.

Last week, it was revealed that the National Theatre of Scotland (NTS) is to hold talks with the SNP government, and is understood to be concerned that plays and other productions may risk falling foul of the law.

Police Scotland says officers have even been trained to spot potential breaches, which may include material used by actors and comedians.

A somewhat alarming use of police time frankly, in a force that recently said it was, in effect, no longer investigating minor crimes such as some thefts and smashed windows.

A source close to the NTS told the Mail that ‘many people feel that actors should not be in the firing line because what they say is written by someone else, but there is a fear that stand-up comedians are more likely to fall foul of this’. I’ll bet there is. In fact, if I was a stand-up comedian whose act covered subjects that touched on anything other than sunshine and roses, I’d be hastily getting the red pen out right now.

Look, the basic concerns at the root of these laws are ones that every decent person can get behind. Prejudice on the basis of age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity or variation in sex characteristics is clearly not OK.

That the legislation creates new offences of ‘stirring up hatred’ however – which previously applied only to race – and which can be broken in private homes, seems wrongheaded, and pushing the envelope way too far.

As Russell Findlay, Scottish Tory justice spokesman, said: ‘In what other western democracy would you find arts organisations fearful of the government in relation to artistic performance and expression?’ Quite.

This is the nub of the situation. What we have, once again, is a government which – not content with trying to stop us eating and drinking certain things and criminalising what we put in our bins – can now, quite literally, police what we say, and what our artists say. It is the antithesis of democracy.

Creativity and, yes, provocation have long been some of the most important values in the Scottish arts. Just ask Robert Burns, or Muriel Spark, or Sir Walter Scott.

Our artists – who contribute so much to the rich cultural fabric of this country – need their creative freedom. And the rest of us would rather like it, too.

 Karen and a lesson in fatherly support

Behind every successful star, there’s a supportive parent helping them to realise their dream. At least that’s how it was for Karen Gillan, whose teachers at her Inverness high school were so concerned about her ‘head in the clouds’ attitude to becoming a film star they demanded her dad attend a meeting to discuss the issue.

‘My dad was so angry at them for this,’ she revealed. ‘I have never seen anything like it.

‘He went in and said “You don’t know what you’re talking about”.’

Good on Gillan Senior for supporting his daughter’s dreams. As her Hollywood career goes from strength to strength, turns out he was absolutely right.

They'll be fizzing into their drams in Speyside. An English whisky – from Norfolk no less – has been named the world’s best single malt. The Sherry Cask Matured by The English Distillery beat a number of Scottish (and foreign) malts to the title at the World Whisky Awards. Talk about a good reason to drown your sorrows.

Gorilla tactics that put Gary back in business 

So Gary the gorilla is back, or at least half of him is. Almost a year after the 8ft fibreglass ape was stolen in the dead of night from a garden centre in Lanarkshire, sparking a nationwide hunt, his backside has been discovered in a lay-by in Fife. It appears poor Gary has been sawn in half.

‘The plan is to fit him to the wall with a sign above him saying “Gary’s back”,’ said his owner Andrew Scott. ‘It’s a bit tongue-in-cheek.’ Well played.

Local knowledge that may be lost forever

I was sad to learn that the country’s last tourist information centres, now, inexplicably, known as iCentres, are to be shut down over the next two years.

Once upon a time, a visit to tourist information was mandatory when you arrived somewhere new. There are places I would never have come across (including fabulous campsites on Skye and the Argyll coast) had it not been for the guidance of a helpful staff member, or the attractive leaflet I just happened to pick up.

I understand that most of us now plan our trips differently, researching information online and scouring Tripadvisor, but I can’t help but feel that something is being lost here.

Many will miss visitor centres’ greatest asset – local knowledge – when seeking out the best Scotland has to offer.

Sigh. A store in England has been promoting ‘gesture eggs’. Gesture eggs? At Easter? Talk about meaningless twaddle. 

If the word ‘Easter’ really causes them offence (in which case they should really have a word with themselves), then why not just call them what they are: chocolate eggs.

P.S. On that note, I would like to wish all my readers a very happy Easter. 

Whether you choose to spend it gorging on chocolate, roasting a leg of lamb or rolling eggs down a hill, right, in the extremely un-spring-like weather we’re experiencing just now, I hope you have a wonderful day.

Humza Yousaf marked one year since taking the reins as First Minister this week. Is that all? It feels like a lifetime. Then again, given the SNP have now been in government for almost 17 years, perhaps it’s no surprise. Particularly given that Yousaf has presided over his party’s most disastrous 365 days yet.