ANAS Sarwar has written to the First Minister outlining a series of proposals to tackle “everyday racism and Islamophobia” across Scotland.

The Labour MSP wants the Scottish Government to take action to improve black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) representation in the public-sector workforce.

He also called for better monitoring of Islamophobic crimes including a review of existing mechanisms for recording if a reported offence is Islamophobic in nature, statistics on the number of Islamophobic crimes recorded each year and the proportion that lead to charges and conviction.

In his letter to Nicola Sturgeon he also called for a review of the legal framework surrounding racist and Islamophobic abuse on social media.

His intervention follows tensions in Scottish Labour over the decision of the leadership not to suspend Hugh Gaffney, a Corbyn-supporting MP elected in June last year, who used racist and homophobic language at a Burns supper organised by Labour students. Party bosses have instructed Gaffney to attend diversity training.

Sarwar spoke out last month about being subjected to racist comments during the Scottish Labour leadership contest. Councillor David McLachlan, who denies making a racist remark, has been suspended while an investigation is carried out.

Sarwar recently launched the Cross Party Group on Tackling Islamophobia, supported by MSPs from every political party and more than 50 organisations.

In his letter to Sturgeon, the Glasgow MSP said his proposals were about “challenging a culture that impacts on workplaces, colleges, university campuses and playgrounds across the country”.

He called on the government to put in place a requirement for at least one BAME candidate – where at least one has applied – to be shortlisted for an interview for a public-sector job.

His proposals also include a regular audit of the diversity of Scotland’s workforce, the ability for public-sector workers to report abuse anonymously, and a programme of equality and diversity training to be rolled out across the public sector.

On social media, he called for a review “to ensure that the correct legal framework exists for the police to take action and that the appropriate legal framework is then enforced appropriately and correctly”. Police Scotland should also establish a formal relationship with the organisation Tell MAMA, which works on tackling anti-Muslim hatred, he said.

In his letter to the First Minister Sarwar, one of only four BAME MSPs ever to have sat in Holyrood, struck a consensual tone, thanking her for comments she made about his campaign when she spoke at Holyrood earlier this month.

He wrote: “The last two weeks have been among the most challenging in all my time in politics. Speaking out about my own experiences of racism and Islamophobia and the impact on my family, while highlighting my own ‘difference’, is probably one of the hardest things I’ve done. I should stress that I am proud of every part of my identity. I want to thank you for your kind words in the chamber at First Minister’s Questions on February 1. They meant a lot to me and countless others who have experienced racism and Islamophobia. You were right: we are political opponents locally and nationally; but issues such as racism and Islamophobia go beyond party politics. I have no doubt that we have a shared ambition to build a society free of hate or prejudice in all its forms.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “As stated in Parliament, the First Minister is committed to working constructively with the proposed cross-party group on tackling Islamophobia. We will consider the points raised by Mr Sarwar when we receive the letter and reply to him in due course.”