Search Comment Central

Contributor

About John

John Fingland Mason (born 15 May 1957) is a Scottish independent politician and accountant who represented Glasgow Shettleston as a Member of the Scottish Parliament from 2011 to 2026. Prior to this, he served as Member of Parliament for Glasgow East between 2008 and 2010, and as a Glasgow City Councillor from 1998 to 2008. Originally a member of the Scottish National Party, Mason was expelled from the party in 2024 after having the whip withdrawn for arguing that Israeli actions during the Gaza war did not constitute genocide.

Throughout his political career, Mason has been involved in charity work and is known for his views on social policy as a practising Christian, including his opposition to abortion for social reasons. He has attracted considerable controversy for comments and beliefs that critics have characterised as transphobic and homophobic, for describing the Irish Republican Army as freedom fighters, and for keeping his SNP office open to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Mason writes commentary for Comment Central.

Selected writing

Loading...
Maja r h A Ey Ttk R Cx M unsplash
Politics
John Mason, Comment Central contributor
John Mason · 30 Apr 2026