An MP who was expelled from the Scottish National Party for his social media posts about the Israel-Gaza war says he stands by his comments.
John Mason said he was “very disappointed” to be sacked but was “pleased” to repeat the comments that led to his initial suspension.
Glasgow Shettleston MSP was stripped of the whip in August after posting on X that there was “no genocide” in Gaza.
He said he was considering appealing the expulsion, which was confirmed Saturday.
The SNP said they were unable to comment on ongoing disciplinary proceedings.
When Mason was initially suspended, a spokesman for the SNP chief whip described his comments as “completely abhorrent”.
“Very disappointing”
Mason, who served as an SNP MP for 16 years, told us BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland: “To be fired because of a disagreement over the definition of a word – an important word, genocide – but to be fired because of that is very disappointing.”
He said he was “pleased” to repeat his statement.
“There is a war going on,” said the MP who will now sit at Holyrood as an independent.
“People lost their lives, it was very tragic, like in Ukraine and in every war.
“But there is a difference between war and genocide, and saying every war is genocide is not how we use the word.”
He said he was “very sorry” for the loss of life but that Israel felt “very threatened”.
Mason told the BBC: “We’re not inclined to say the bombing of German cities was genocide, we’re not inclined to say Hiroshima was genocide – these were acts of war, perhaps disproportionately.
“Genocide is a very serious word,” he added. “It is inaccurate to conflate the terms genocide and war.”
The SNP’s Member Conduct Committee ruled that Mason should be expelled, accusing him of claiming to be an “arbiter” of the genocide, describing it as “unacceptable and offensive”.
In a letter to the Scottish Parliament, the committee also said he had misrepresented SNP policy and “showed no remorse”.
Mason denied being an “arbiter” of genocide and called on the party to be “tolerant” on such issues.
He said the SNP should be a “big tent”, adding: “We should allow a bit of latitude on issues like this that have nothing to do with independence so that no one can be the arbiter of words like genocide. “
MP Shettleston said he supported the party’s call for a two-state solution to the conflict, but said he did not understand the party policies he was accused of disagreeing with.
Mason, 67, said he has decided to retire at the next election, scheduled for 2026.
He has 21 days to appeal but has said he will be prepared to serve out the remainder of his term as an independent.
The Scottish Parliament added: “If I were independent then I would have more freedoms, but I will do whatever I can to support the SNP.”
On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking another 251 people hostage.
Since then, more than 42,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
