Genocide row MSP will not contest SNP expulsion

MSP John Mason will sit as an independent permanently after announcing he will not appeal against the SNP’s decision to expel him from the party.

The Shettleston MSP was suspended then expelled over comments he made about the conflict in Gaza, where he argued that “if Israel wanted to commit genocide, they would have killed 10 times as many”.

The comments provoked a firestorm in the party and led to the sanction.

After the expulsion last week, he had 21 days to appeal, but announced on Tuesday he would not.

In a post on Facebook, Mr Mason said: “I have been reflecting on my expulsion and whether I should appeal or not. Some people have said I should and others have said there was no point as people’s minds were already made up.

“It is now nine weeks since I was suspended and I do feel that that is long enough for this episode to have continued.

“I do not think that my spinning out the process even longer would be to anyone’s benefit.

“Therefore, I have very reluctantly decided not to appeal. I totally disagree with the decision of the member conduct committee, however, they are put in place by the SNP to decide on such cases.”

The MSP – who has previously hinted he will not stand at the 2026 election – criticised the current SNP, saying it is no longer the “broad church type of party” he had joined more than three decades ago.

Mr Mason – a devout Christian – has frequently clashed with the party’s leadership in recent years over his view on abortion, particularly during the process to legislate for buffer zones outside abortion clinics to quell protests, some of which he has attended.

He thanked former SNP leaders Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond, as well as party members who had helped him win elections.

His expulsion requires the SNP to find three more votes in Holyrood in order to pass legislation, but the party’s leadership will be relieved by Mr Mason’s assurance he will vote along with the party “as much as possible”.

Mr Mason said in his statement constituents “mainly voted for the party rather than myself”.

He added: “I hope it is clear that while the SNP may be rejecting me, I am not rejecting the SNP and I will do what I can to encourage constituents and others to vote for the party in elections at all levels.”

An SNP spokesperson said: “John Mason has today informed the national secretary that he does not intend to appeal the decision of the members’ conduct committee.”