The SNP’s Hate Crime and Public Order Act, which becomes operational next month, is generating the expected consequences – persecution of innocent, humourous, or satirical speech. Humza Yousaf himself has already been reported to the police for “offensive” comments he made about trans rapist Isla Bryson…

Training documents obtained by The Herald reveal which “hate crimes” will be pursued:

“The different ways in which a person may communicate material to another person are by: displaying, publishing or distributing the material, for example on a sign, on the internet through websites, blogs, podcasts, social media etc, either directly, or by forwarding or repeating material that originates from a third party, through printed media such as magazine publications or leaflets… giving, sending, showing or playing the material to another person… through online streaming, by email, playing a video, through public performance of a play.”

So thespians will find their performances are only a matinee prior to a night in the clink. Police Scotland has also pledged to investigate every hate crime complaint recorded. That’s as the SNP backs a plan for them to ignore 25,000 crimes a year in the interests of “proportionate” policing. Guido ventures that’s not quite what Peel had in mind…