Former Celtic manager John Barnes to discuss racism during Holyrood event

Former Celtic manager John Barnes will discuss his experience with racism at an event at the Scottish Parliament.

The former England and Liverpool player has been outspoken in his push to tackle systemic racism, often opening up about his own experiences during his playing days.

Barnes, who managed the Hoops in the 1999/2000 season, will appear during Holyrood’s Festival of Politics next month to speak about his book The Uncomfortable Truth About Racism.

In the wake of the murder in the US of George Floyd – which caused widespread unrest and protests against racism across the world – Barnes told Sky News the focus should be on stamping out systemic racism in the UK as opposed to just tackling overt racist acts.

He said: “Because that happens intermittently, what continues to happen throughout every single day of black people’s lives in inner cities is the systemic racism that affects their daily lives, and that is more important for us to challenge than these incidents.”

The three-day festival will also include a discussion on doctor-assisted suicide, with two former party leaders.

Kezia Dugdale and Ruth Davidson will join Liam McArthur – the MSP who has proposed the controversial legislation – as well as Australian MP Alex Greenwich in a panel chaired by SNP MSP Colette Stevenson.

Three attempts, including McArthur’s, have been made to implement such a law in Holyrood, but they have previously failed to garner enough support.

The legislation would allow terminally ill and mentally competent adults to end their lives.

The Assisted Dying (Scotland) Bill has not yet been introduced to the Scottish Parliament, although the Lib Dem MSP has said he hopes to lodge it early next year.

Elsewhere, other events at the festival will look at the impact of disinformation, migration and asylum policies, the cost-of-living crisis, trust in politics and the strength of the union.