The SNP’s decision to discipline MSP John Mason after repeatedly making comments on abortion will be a relief to many of his colleagues. Mason has been an embarrassment to the party for years and it is a surprise it has taken this long to act.
This is a politician who suggested to a disabled Celtic fan he could support another club after concerns were raised about the impact of parking restrictions. He also had to apologise for suggesting some people view IRA killers as “freedom fighters”.
But it is his views on abortion that have sickened many in his party and further afield in Scottish politics. Some prominent politicians oppose abortion but Mason aways seems to express his views in a cack-handed way that offends people.
He said recently that some women had suffered “very bad experiences” at abortion clinics after they “effectively found
themselves on a conveyor belt”. Mason also said he was “pretty positive” about the US Supreme Court overturning national abortion rights.
His opposition to buffer zones outside abortion clinics is also wide of the mark. They are necessary because a small number of protesters are intimidating women for making choices about their own bodies.
But Mason admitted to attending one protest and downplayed it as a “vigil”. Little wonder the SNP have issued him with a written warning.
He is probably feeling sorry for himself but the reality is he should be grateful he has not been kicked out.
Surgery stress
We all understand why the NHS is under extreme pressure after the Covid lockdown. Thousands of operations that should have happened had to be cancelled – and waiting lists for routine operations are now sky-high.
It has become such a problem that those awaiting hip and knee operations are increasingly paying for private surgery. The numbers of people going private for these ops has trebled from pre-pandemic levels.
For those who can afford it, this is an understandable decision to take. Many waiting for these operations are crippled with agonising conditions like arthritis.
Anything that helps get things sorted quickly would be welcomed with open arms. But the sad fact is that thousands waiting for these operations simply cannot afford to go private.
A fundamental founding principle of the NHS is free treatment at the point of need. That is why the Scottish Government has to make it a priority to get these waiting lists reduced – and quickly.
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