Salmond in ‘ bigot’ row over faith

ALEX Salmond was accused of being bigoted last night after claiming to prefer people with faith to those with none.

The former First Minister and MP for Gordon also admitted to being ‘biased’ against those who had religion but lost it.

According to the most recent Scottish Household Survey, 47 per cent of the population identify themselves as having no religion.

Mr Salmond made the comment while welcoming the Rev Stuart MacQuarrie, chaplain to Glasgow University, to Holyrood.

Asked about the Kirk’s role in society, Mr Salmond said: ‘I am biased because I am a Church of Scotland adherent and I prefer people of faith to people of no faith or people who have lost their faith.

‘All denominations have a key role to play in society and we are very fortunate in Scotland because we have a tremendous ability, among religions and denominations, to come together and support good causes.’

Mr MacQuarrie was at the Scottish parliament to deliver the first Time for Reflection of the new term. He told MSPs it was ‘important we see each other as people and not with labels’, before adding that the Church was a national institution ‘concerned about everyone’.

Spencer Fildes, chairman of the Scottish Secular Society, said: ‘With one sentence Alex Salmond has separated the religious and non-religious, affording special place to the religious in his own world view.

‘Religion, which includes the right to be free from religion, is a protected characteristic under both equality legislation and the Human Rights Act, and so a prominent politician promoting views which can only be described as discriminatory and bigoted is a surprise to us.’

Mr Fildes added: ‘It’s an incredibly ill-thought and divisive comment to make.’