A prominent Scottish politician has been kicked off the board of the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) in the city of Dundee because of his support for traditional marriage.The CAB in Dundee is in receipt of funding from the Scottish Government to fight religious discrimination.
Last year, it was given £39,000 for projects to tackle racial and religious discrimination.
However, former leader of the Scottish National Party, Gordon Wilson, was voted off the Bureau last week by 21 members of the board.
Earlier this month Mr Wilson responded to a Government consultation on redefining marriage, saying he was opposed to the idea.
He said, “You attack the building block of society at your peril” and he called for a referendum on the issue.
But expressing his beliefs appears to have cost him his position at Dundee CAB, a group that offers free advice to the public about legal rights.
At the annual general meeting of Dundee CAB, members blocked his re-election as one of twelve directors.
Mr Wilson was accused of being anti-equality and a total of 21 members voted against his re-election.
However, the 73-year-old pointed out to the meeting that their statement of equal opportunities also included the rights of those of religious faith.
This was disregarded, as was a reference to the £39,000 given last year to Dundee CAB for racial/religious discrimination projects by the Scottish Government, Mr Wilson said.
He added, “They would have difficulty in applying for fresh funding for this project when they were guilty of practising religious discrimination themselves.
“All to no avail, the issue of same sex-marriage appeared to have priority over the work of the bureau. Political correctness was victorious.”
After the vote chairman of Dundee CAB Iain Luke, a former Labour MP, resigned along with one other board member. Mr Luke said he was very disappointed by what he had witnessed.
He told a local newspaper, The Courier, that, “Gordon Wilson came into the bureau with a great deal of experience and political influence. I spoke with him not long ago when he said that he was considering leaving the organisation and I managed to talk him out of it.”
“He has been an exemplary member and I very much appreciate all the work he has done.”
Gordon Macdonald, Parliamentary Officer of CARE, which defends religious freedom in politics, said, “This case raises serious concerns about religious liberty and freedom of speech. Whether one agrees or disagrees with Gordon Wilson, everyone should defend his right to state his view in response to the Scottish Government’s consultation, without being discriminated against by the Citizens Advice Bureau."
“It calls into question the public funding that the CAB receives from the Scottish Government and Dundee City Council. We would ask for this funding to be withdrawn, especially the money the CAB receives from the Scottish Government to counter religious discrimination. Nicola Sturgeon states that she wants to hear the views of Christian groups and churches on the Scottish Government’s proposals.”
“She should take action to ensure that those who respond to her request are not discriminated against for doing so.”