The four MSPs disrupted chamber business with their G8 stand

SSP convener Colin Fox and colleagues Carolyn Leckie, Rosie Kane and Frances Curran staged a protest in the Scottish Parliament chamber in June.

The MSPs were demanding the right to protest at the G8 summit in Gleneagles.

The party decided against a legal move because of estimates that costs could reach as much as �100,000 if it lost.

With the possibility of legal action now removed, I have asked that the draconian sanctions be reconsidered Colin Fox SSP convener

The four MSPs were barred from the parliament for one month, beginning on Thursday, and will lose their wages during that period.

Mr Fox appealed to the parliament's Presiding Officer George Reid for the ban to be re-examined in a "calmer and more proportionate manner".

He said: "Our legal advice is that, in order for a judicial review to begin, we would have to apologise for our actions in the parliament on 30 June, something we are not prepared to do.

"We have also been advised that the cost of legal action could be over �100,000 if we lost, an amount that a party funded by the subscriptions of working-class people could not contemplate losing."

Parliamentary motion

He added: "With the possibility of legal action now removed, I have written to George Reid asking that the draconian sanctions be reconsidered by referring the matter to the standards committee."

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Parliament said: "The presiding officer is grateful to Colin Fox for the information that the excluded SSP members do not intend to take court action.

"He has also reiterated that their disruption of the parliament was a very serious matter and the unanimous vote by members shows a determination that such disorder should not happen again.

"The presiding officer hopes that the excluded members agree."

She added that the only way the decision to ban the four SSP members could be overturned was through a motion asking parliament to reconsider.