An SNP MSP has been disciplined by party bosses at Holyrood after defending anti-abortion protests outside hospitals.
John Mason received a written warning after being accused of causing women “great distress” for his remarks on abortion rights and buffer zones outside clinics.
A leaked letter by party whips stated: “Your lack of sensitivity especially in the current context has been noted.
“Your behaviour and conduct have been extremely disappointing, and we believe that you have brought the Parliamentary group into disrepute.”
Despite SNP MSPs supporting a women’s right to choose, the Glasgow Shettleston MSP has repeatedly declared his opposition to abortion.
He recently claimed to have heard from patients who had suffered “very bad experiences” at clinics after they “effectively found themselves on a conveyor belt”.
The SNP-led Government also supports buffer zones around clinics to protect women from harassment, but he has described the protests as “vigils”.
A June 29th letter to Mason from SNP MPs Stuart McMillan and Gordon MacDonald, who serve as party whips, pulled him up for repeated comments on these issues.
They wrote: “We would like to make it clear that we absolutely respect your right to hold your views on abortion and your right to freedom of speech and expression. “We do not, however, believe that you have the right to impose these views on others.”
“The verbalisation of your views has caused great distress and trauma to many women and have also been regarded as misinformation by medical professionals.
“As you know, the First Minister has committed to exploring all possible options to ensure safe access zones for women and girls accessing healthcare.”
They added: “We are dismayed that you have chosen to express your views in the media without approaching the group first to express the concerns you may have.”
The whips added: “We consider this breach a serious one and are issuing you with a formal written warning.”
Mason’s response, also leaked to the Record, stated: “You say that I have the ‘right to freedom of speech and expression’ on abortion but later that the ‘verbalisation of your views has caused great distress and trauma’. I am struggling to see how these two fit together.”
He added: “I accept that for many people who have decided on an abortion, they are content with the service provided.
“However, for at least some women who perhaps were being coerced or who had not fully made up their minds, they consider that they have had a bad experience.”
Mason also claimed: “On the question of faith, I would actually say it is more the science which persuades me to oppose abortion rather than my faith.”
Later correspondence between Mason, McMillan and SNP MSP Rona Mackay confirmed the upset had been caused by his comments on safe access zones.
McMillan and Mackay wrote: “The fact that you choose to use a public platform to express your personal views, as a public figure and an elected member, is in our view using your position to promote and impose your views on others.”
Back Off Scotland, which supports buffer zones around hospitals, blasted the MSP’s views on abortion:
“John is obviously entitled to his own views on abortion, but he cannot use his platform as a parliamentarian to spread harmful narratives about abortion access in Scotland.
“Whilst we’re glad the SNP have taken action on this, John has continued to spread misinformation and cause distress since this [discipline] letter was sent in June which is unacceptable.”
An SNP spokesperson said: “We don’t comment on internal party matters.”
The SNP said Mason would not be commenting.
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