Labour and the other opposition parties have been challenged to come forward with proposals if they think they can improve the controversial anti-sectarian law on behaviour at football matches.

Glasgow SNP MSPs have defended the law and said to abolish it would send out a message that sectarianism is acceptable.

James Kelly, Glasgow Labour MSP, has said he will bring forward a bill to scrap the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act and is meeting parliament officials this week for discussions.

He argues the law no longer has majority support in Parliament as the Tories, Greens and LibDems also want to see the act scrapped.

Mr Kelly said: “No other party supported the law but the SNP used their majority to bulldoze it through anyway.

“The SNP are now a minority government and that means Parliament can repeal the SNP Football Act.”

However, James Dornan SNP Cathcart MSP, said the act was necessary and was helping to tackle sectarianism in a wider sense.

Mr Dornan said: “The record shows it’s already working. The number of sectarian offences has dropped steadily (28% drop) in the couple of years since it’s been put in place.

“A very important part of this was the message it sends out, that we take combating sectarianism very, very seriously here in Scotland.”

He told the BBC: “I’d be more than happy, I’ve no doubts the government would be more than happy, if the opposition parties were getting together to put forward some amendments to strengthen it if they think it needs strengthened.

“What I do not believe is this knee jerk reaction that they seem to be thrashing around looking for something to beat the government with, instead of combatting the problem we have with sectarianism in this country and I think that’s pretty disappointing.”

John Mason said a majority of the public and football fans including Celtic and Rangers fans backed the Act and to scrap it was sending the wrong signal about religious and racial prejudice.

He said: “People want sectarianism dealt with.

“If this act was repealed what we are saying is sectarianism is acceptable, anti-Catholicism is acceptable and anti-Irish racism is acceptable. As far as I’m concerned none of these are acceptable.”

“If they want to improve it let’s talk about it.”