We may like to think we're all Jock Tamson's bairns, but 29% of Scots say there is sometimes good reason to be prejudiced. The results from the latest Scottish Social Attitudes Survey is a sharp shock to a country that has long prided itself on being welcoming to immigrants and - despite the scars of sectarianism - less racist than other places. It is particularly disappointing that the figure of those willing to condone prejudice has risen by 3% since 2002 and there is evidence of increasing prejudice against Muslims, despite a well-established Muslim community here. In response to being asked if Scotland would lose its cultural identity if more Muslims came to live here, the proportion who agreed increased from 38% to 50%. No doubt the 9/11 attack on New York and the London bombings of July 2005 played a part, but the interviews were carried out before the attempted bombing of Glasgow airport earlier this year.
As would be expected, older and less-educated people expressed more prejudice. This is no guarantee, however, that young people, used to living in a multi-ethnic society, will be better integrated and less discriminatory than previous generations: it emerged earlier this year that people under 20 were responsible for half the racist incidents in 2005-6. That suggests we cannot assume attitudes will change along with society, but that an educational programme is required. Prejudice is more complex than being negative about people different from oneself. There can be a telling difference between people's claims not to be prejudiced and how they actually react in a personal situation. A question about a close relative forming a relationship with someone produced a wide variation, with the prospect of a relationship with a transsexual causing 50% distress, to one in 10 who would be unhappy with someone who was black or Asian, Jewish or from a Chinese background. Yet the current climate of suspicion is obvious when 24% say they would be unhappy about a close relationship with a Muslim (compared with 20% in 2003).
Although 65% of people agree that "Scotland should do everything to get rid of all kinds of prejudice", the depth of the problem is revealed by specific instances. For example, there are particular prejudices against gipsies/travellers and transsexuals being primary school teachers. The proportion of people who think same-sex relationships are wrong has dropped, yet 51% of people believe a B&B owner should be able to refuse a booking for a same-sex couple.
Stewart Maxwell, the Communities Minister, speaks of change taking time. That is true, but it makes it all the more urgent to start promoting equality: this research reveals the uncomfortable evidence that the One Scotland, Many Cultures campaign undertaken by the previous Scottish Executive still has a long way to go. The SNP has expressed a similar ambition for a comfortably pluralist society. The sooner we achieve that the better, but it won't happen if we leave the prejudices to fester into acts of discrimination that should have no place in 21st-century Scotland.
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