Efforts are being made to prevent a leading member of the far-right Belgian party Vlaams Blok visiting the Scottish parliament.
MSPs say they are horrified that Dominiek Lootens-Stael, the party's leader on the Brussels regional parliament and a member of the Flemish parliament, will be in a Flemish delegation making a four-day visit to Holyrood next month.
MSPs say they are horrified that Dominiek Lootens-Stael, the party's leader on the Brussels regional parliament and a member of the Flemish parliament, will be in a Flemish delegation making a four-day visit to Holyrood next month.
Anger as Scottish presiding officer approves visit by far-right Belgian MP
Vlaams Blok (Flemish Bloc), which has been likened to the British National party, was barred from visiting the Welsh assembly last week by its presiding officer, Dafydd Elis Thomas.
But the Holyrood presiding officer, George Reid, has approved the visit, against the advice of the Foreign Office, which warned Holyrood about the party's background.
Yesterday, the Scottish Labour party and the Scottish National party demanded that Mr Reid veto the trip.
"Extremists are abhorrent to the overwhelming majority of Scots," Shona Robison, the SNP social justice spokeswoman, said.
She added: "I believe their views to be racist and they must not be given a shred of legitimacy."
Full story at Guardian online:
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/scotland/story/0,9061,1021287,00.html
Vlaams Blok (Flemish Bloc), which has been likened to the British National party, was barred from visiting the Welsh assembly last week by its presiding officer, Dafydd Elis Thomas.
But the Holyrood presiding officer, George Reid, has approved the visit, against the advice of the Foreign Office, which warned Holyrood about the party's background.
Yesterday, the Scottish Labour party and the Scottish National party demanded that Mr Reid veto the trip.
"Extremists are abhorrent to the overwhelming majority of Scots," Shona Robison, the SNP social justice spokeswoman, said.
She added: "I believe their views to be racist and they must not be given a shred of legitimacy."
Full story at Guardian online:
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/scotland/story/0,9061,1021287,00.html 
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