John Mason MP
 John Mason was elected as MP for Glasgow East following a stunning by-election victory in July 2008.
He is originally from Rutherglen, is 51, an accountant, and has lived in the East End for 18 years.
After training in Glasgow, he has worked for housing associations, nursing homes, and with a charity in London. He also spent 3 years in Nepal with an NGO representing churches from all over the world.
He was elected as the Councillor for the Garrowhill ward in 1998 at a by-election and held the seat in 1999 and 2003.
He led the SNP Group on the Council from 1999 until 2008 and was elected in 2007 as Councillor for the new ward of Baillieston.
He achieved the highest personal vote of any Councillor in Glasgow.
His other interests include involvement in Easterhouse Baptist Church, hill-walking and camping.
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Thursday, 20 November 2008 |
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It has been announced that the Scottish National Party MP for Glasgow East, John Mason, is to take up his party’s Work & Pensions portfolio with immediate effect.
 The East End’s representative in the House of Commons has shown a keen interest in this subject since he was sworn in on 6 October, having put down parliamentary questions on subjects such as pensioner poverty, the level of unclaimed benefits, and automatic benefit payment to those who are entitled.
Speaking about his new role, John Mason said: "In my first speech to the House of Commons I said that I would judge all the Government’s proposals on whether they narrow or widen the gap between rich and poor. The struggle against poverty – both at home and abroad – is one of my priorities, so the Work & Pensions portfolio is a pretty good fit for me.
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Friday, 14 November 2008 |
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 Glasgow East MP John Mason has welcomed the announcement that the Post Office will retain the Post Office Card Account (POCA) contract.
The decision had been subject to long delays since the summer, causing huge uncertainty for postmasters and their customers.
Across Glasgow, hundreds of people had signed up to show their support for the Post Office retaining the contract and that level of people power appears to have had an impact.
In recent days speculation had been rife that the contract had been awarded to Paypoint but the decision to allow the Post Office to continue supplying the service is long overdue relief.
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Thursday, 13 November 2008 |
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 The Scottish National Party MP for Glasgow East, John Mason, has given his backing to fire-fighters lobbying the House of Commons over concerns about rising crew fatalities.
According to the Fire Brigade Union (FBU) eight fire-fighters died in the line of duty throughout the UK during 2007 - the worst year since 1985. There has also been a sharp rise in fire deaths in the last five years, with the 22 deaths since 2003 being significantly higher than preceding five year period.
Speaking after meeting local fire crew at the House of Commons, John Mason said: "Deaths of fire-fighters on duty have risen sharply over the last five years, and this is a trend that must be reversed.
"The public in Glasgow, and throughout Scotland, are extremely proud of our fire professionals, and we owe them a debt of gratitude for the risks they take to protect our families and our homes.
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Wednesday, 12 November 2008 |
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John Mason, the SNP MP for Glasgow East, has expressed concern over the failure of benefits to keep up with the rising cost of living. He has called on the UK Government to bring forward implementation of the planned 6.3% rise in Job Seekers Allowance.
Speaking earlier today, John Mason said: "Losing a job is never easy but, as food and fuel prices rocket, the next few months will be even more difficult for those trying to cope on benefits.
"While growing the economy and getting people back into work must be the focus of Government action, steps also need to be taken to ensure benefits allow a basic standard of living."
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Monday, 03 November 2008 |
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The replacement body for the much-criticised Child Support Agency will be up and running this week.
The news of the long-awaited transition has been welcomed by Glasgow East MP, John Mason, who has regular cases from constituents who have been failed by the current Child Support system.
The performance of the CSA has been under serious scrutiny for many years after the major failings of a new computer system led to widespread errors and caused hardship for families.
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