COLUMNIST Kevin McKenna responds to two readers who had criticisms of, and questions about, his Wednesday column (Spare me the hand-wringing over a daft joke, September 27)

MOST journalists I know appreciate it when some readers not only read their columns but take the time and effort to respond to them. Thus, I’m grateful for the opportunity to address some points made by two National readers about one of my pieces this week.

Alan Black (Letters, September 27) says that I am keen to “stifle any debate whatsoever on the way Catholic schools are run in Scotland”.

In response to Mr Black – I’ve never sought to stifle debate on Catholic schools. Indeed I’ve participated in this debate on several occasions by writing about them. Unless, of course, Mr Black is suggesting that simply by defending their right to exist is to “stifle debate”. I’m sure, though, that wasn’t what he was intending to say.

On his central criticism of my column, that I’m “happily content to allow the traditional lines of verbal assaults in the west of Scotland to continue as harmless fun etc”, we’ll simply have to disagree.

It’s my opinion that Andy Kerr’s comment to a Catholic Labour delegate was not a “verbal assault”. Rather, it was an ill-chosen attempt at a joke which would have been better left unsaid.

In a second letter Douglas Morton quite reasonably asks why I didn’t list any examples of hostility to Catholic schools and assorted other unpleasant sentiments about Irishness made by members of all three main political parties (Letters, September 28). I’ll supply some now.

For the SNP, Mhairi Black has deployed the unfortunate term “plastic Irishmen” in relation to debate about the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act.

These are hardly hanging offences but injudicious nonetheless, while Tommy Sheppard was criticised by the Catholic Church for outlining plans for the piecemeal eradication of them.

Meanwhile, Mr Morton need only look at how few Labour MPs signed an early day motion in January this year by the SNP MP Chris Stephens. This too is a matter of public record.

My very well-placed source insists that this was largely due to an instruction at the higher echelons of the Labour Party in Scotland. The National is happy with the quality of my source.

Of the Tories, well, yes, I probably did deploy some rather vivid language to describe their attitude to some minorities. These are all well documented and include dozens of councillors and other elected officials.

Alastair Majury and Robert Davies were disciplined shortly after being elected to Stirling Council in May last year for sending anti-Catholic tweets. On May 15 last year the respected independent news and features website Commonspace published an article headlined: “Tories silent on growing evidence of anti-Irish and anti-Catholic bigotry inside party”.

Mr Morton mentions Peter Kearney, media director of the Catholic Church in Scotland.

In my opinion Mr Kearney is a decent and hard-working chap who has complained loudly and for many years about my criticism of the governance of the Catholic Church in Scotland, which he is paid handsomely to represent. There are few things upon which we agree.

I’ll conclude by saying I’m genuinely touched when readers deem my offerings worthy of a considered response even if it’s to take me to task. I look forward to many more.