John Mason expelled from the SNP over ‘unacceptable’ Gaza comments

John Mason has been expelled from the SNP over comments he made about the conflict in Gaza.  

The Glasgow MSP had the whip removed in August when he said on X (formerly Twitter) there was “no genocide” in Gaza.

He added: “If Israel wanted to commit genocide, they would have killed many more people.”

Speaking to BBC in the following days, Mason said he stood by his comments and argued “this is not that’s genocide happening”.  

His comments followed the decision by external affairs minister Angus Robertson to meet with a senior Israeli diplomat earlier that month.  

Robertson later apologised for the meeting.  

Mason was stripped of the party whip and a spokesperson for the chief whip said it was “completely unacceptable” accusing him of “flippantly dismissing the death of more than 40,000 Palestinians”.  

They added: “There can be no room in the SNP for this kind of intolerance.”

Mason posted to X: “Very disappointed to be expelled from @theSNP over my comments on Israel, Gaza, and whether or not there has been genocide.  

“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.”