Glasgow MSP's whip removed by SNP over 'abhorrent' Israel genocide comments

Rebecca McCurdy & Jordan Shepherd

17 August 2024 at 9:03 am·2-min read

A Glasgow MSP has had the whip removed following “utterly abhorrent” comments about the Gaza conflict.

The SNP confirmed it has taken action following social media comments from Shettleston MSP John Mason. The whip has been removed with “immediate effect”, officials said.

It comes after Mr Mason reacted to criticism over Scottish External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson’s meeting with Israel’s deputy ambassador Daniela Grudsky.

Mr Mason had also met with the Israeli 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.”

It 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 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“The chief whip has today withdrawn the whip from John Mason MSP with immediate effect, pending internal Parliamentary group due process.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.”

Former SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford criticised Mr Mason, saying on X: “Forty thousand plus dead in Gaza and you tweet this. You are not fit for public office. You are an embarrassment and not fit to represent anyone. You glorify killing and murder with your obtuse comment. Just go and do it now.”

Scottish First Minister John Swinney said Mr Robertson’s meeting with Ms Grudsky was “necessary” and allowed the Scottish Government to put across the need for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza.

His intervention came after Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer accused the Scottish Government of taking a “two-faced approach” by publicly condemning the actions of Israel while conducting secret meetings.

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