Bishop John Keenan of the Diocese of Paisley has defended an SNP MSP, who received a written warning from his party, after vocalizing his support for pro-life vigils, and opposing attempts to ban them. 

Earlier this month, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon committed to introducing legislation to criminalize pro-life vigils by imposing buffer zones. Pro-life vigils offer a last lifeline of support to vulnerable women who may feel pressured or coerced into an abortion decision. 

John Mason, the Glasgow Shettleston MSP, has stated that some abortion providers can often “push abortion” and described how the pro-life vigil attendees that he encountered were not “hateful or harassing.” 

Consequently, SNP Party Whips issued Mr Mason with a warning letter, stating that the SNP considers his comments to be a serious breach.  

The letter stated: “Your behaviour and conduct have been extremely disappointing, and we believe that you have brought the Parliamentary group into disrepute… 

“The verbalisation of your views has caused great distress and trauma to many women and have also been regarded as misinformation by medical professionals.” 

We must avoid political censorship 

Speaking to The Herald, Bishop Keenan responded to the SNP’s treatment of Mr Mason, calling for a respect for freedom of expression. 

Bishop Keenan said: “We would urge all political parties to respect that in our democratic system MSPs are elected first of all to serve the whole people of Scotland, especially in issues of personal conscience, rather than always following the interests of their parties… 

“We would also point out that the human right to freedom of expression applies just as much to MSPs, and that it is a serious misunderstanding of the right to view it as only about a right to hold personal views but not about the right to voice them.   

“Any of our recognised conventions on human rights means freedom of speech as respecting both the right to hold views and the right to voice them in public. 

“If Scotland is to be a mature democracy on the world stage it has to have the self-confidence to give a hearing to all views expressed in good faith in the round and to avoid the sort of political censorship we reject in other undemocratic parts of the world that allow no challenge to their perceived status quo.” 

SPUC Director of Public and Legal Affairs, Michael Robinson said:  "It is evident that any viewpoint which differs from the engrained pro-abortion narrative in Scotland is not tolerated, and instantly with disdain. 

“The abortion lobby is increasingly losing grip on the abortion debate. Lashing out, they believe they can batter pro-life people into submission and silence. Pro-life people will never be silenced about the greatest human rights issue of our time.”