13 October 2024 , 19:00
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A veteran SNP MSP has been expelled from the party following “utterly abhorrent” comments about the Israel-Hamas conflict.
John Mason, who represents Glasgow Shettleston, was previously suspended for remarks he made on social media, and confirmed his expulsion on Sunday.
“Very disappointed to be expelled from the SNP over my comments on Israel, Gaza, and whether or not there has been genocide,” he wrote on X. “I continue to believe that we should be able to tolerate a variety of views within the party as long as we are all committed to Scottish independence.”
The row came after Mr Mason reacted to criticism over SNP external affairs secretary Angus Robertson’s meeting with the Israeli deputy ambassador back in August.
Mr Mason had also met with the ambassador and attracted fury from members of his own party after he posted on social media: “If Israel wanted to commit genocide, they would have killed ten times as many.”
This was in response to former SNP MSP Sandra White, who said: “We know what Israelis hope to achieve they are already committing genocide in Gaza”, adding that “innocent children are being massacred”.
Removing the whip from Mr Mason, a party spokesperson previously said: “To flippantly dismiss the death of more than 40,000 Palestinians is completely unacceptable. There can be no room in the SNP for this kind of intolerance.
“The chief whip has today withdrawn the whip from John Mason MSP with immediate effect, pending internal Parliamentary group due process.
“The SNP group will now meet to discuss the matter, with a recommendation that the whip be suspended from John Mason for a fixed period of time because of this utterly abhorrent comment.”
Writing in a post on Facebook after the suspension was announced, Mr Mason, who has been an MSP since 2011 and was an MP between 2008 and 2010, said that his “primary desire in relation to Israel and Gaza is that there should be peace talks, negotiations, and eventually peace”.
He said: “Too many lives have already been lost in Israel, Gaza, and beyond and, as I said when I spoke in Parliament, many people feel that Israel has moved from a position of self-defence to seeking revenge. However, I personally do not believe that Israel has tried to commit, has committed, or is committing genocide.
“They certainly have the ability to kill many more Palestinians than they have done. That is not to say that the loss of life already is not too many.”
First Minister John Swinney previously said Mr Robertson’s meeting with the ambassador was “necessary” and allowed the Scottish Government to put across the need for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza. However, the Government later suspended any further meetings with Israel.
An SNP spokesperson said: “As the disciplinary process includes the right to appeal, the issue remains live and we cannot comment prior to its conclusion.”
Mr Mason has 21 days in which to lodge an appeal. He has long been a controversial figure within the party due to his opposition to abortion and support for anti-abortion protests, among other issues.