In 1980, Monty Python’s Life of Brian was given an X-certificate by the Glasgow licensing Committee instead of the AA-rating awarded by the British Board of Film Classification, meaning that the film was never shown in any of the city’s cinemas.

Commenting on the lifting of the ban, former Lord Provost Michael Kelly, who sat on the 1980 committee but voted in favour of the film’s screening, said that many of the committee members were Catholics who were genuinely shocked by the contents of the film. In February 1980 protestors gathered outside the Sauchiehall Cinema where the film was being screened for the committee and the late pastor Jack Glass accused it of ‘crucifying Christ afresh,’ even though he admitted basing his opinion on a reading of the script as he had never actually seen the film.

The change of heart by the council came about after it received a letter from Allison Gardner, the head of cinemas at the Glasgow Film Theatre (GFT) who wished to screen the film in September 2009. The letter said:

‘In the three decades since the film was first shown, Life of Brian has been universally acknowledged as a true British classic.

‘It is frequently voted one of the funniest films ever made and has earned widespread respect as an example of the beloved Monty Python comedy team at the peak of their creative powers.

‘The film has been widely available to the general public on video and DVD and has been screened on terrestrial television.

‘None of these events has caused widespread offence or in any way destroyed the sanctity of the church or undermined its place in our wider society.

‘I believe the film is seen as an affectionate and inspired depiction of the life of Jesus from a perspective that is humorous rather than intentionally blasphemous.

‘Given the passage of time and the status of the film, I wonder if you might consider it being an appropriate moment to consider this request to overturn the ban on screening the film in Glasgow cinemas.’

Announcing the licensing and regulatory committee’s decision to reverse the ban, its’ vice-convener, Willie O’Rourke, said: ‘This is the first application we’ve received to show Monty Python’s Life Of Brian since the first request back in 1980.

‘Life Of Brian has been broadcast on television over the years and is now widely available on DVD. The world, and people’s attitudes, have moved on in the last 30 years so I believe the committee made the right decision today.”