Public could force out MP who won’t quit over Covid rules breach

Parliamentary authorities are being urged to trigger the removal from office of an MP who travelled from London to Glasgow by train after testing positive for coronavirus.

Margaret Ferrier has so far refused to stand down despite First Minister Nicola Sturgeon urging her to quit over her blatant flouting of self-isolation laws.

But the Rutherglen and Hamilton West MP’s constituents could force her out by demanding a recall petition, which could be triggered by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards suspending her for a fortnight.

A by-election would be held if at least 10% of eligible voters want her removed. There are more than 80,000 registered voters in her constituency.

As four more coronavirus deaths were reported in Scotland yesterday and the number of cases increased by 764, Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said: “If Margaret Ferrier will not listen to her call for her to resign, I’m calling on Nicola Sturgeon to work with me to get public petition in that constituency to put the pressure on so that Margaret Ferrier does step down.”

Scottish Lib Dems leader Willie Rennie said: “Margaret Ferrier must go. I hope that the Commons standards authority gets a move on so we can move to a recall petition.

“But it would save a lot of public money and effort if Ms Ferrier listened to the voice of reasonable people and just quit right now.”

Scottish Conservative MSP Graham Simpson said: “If Margaret Ferrier continues to shamelessly cling on to her job, then the Commons should bar her so that her constituents can be given the power to remove her from office.”

A by-election was triggered in Peterborough last year following the removal of former Labour MP Fiona Onasanya by a recall petition.

She had been sentenced to three months in prison after being convicted of perverting the course of justice by lying to avoid a speeding charge.

Owners of constituency businesses visited by Ms Ferrier on the day she felt Covid-19 symptoms say they felt “disappointed and disheartened” by her actions. Ms Ferrier went to Sweet P gift boutique, in Burnside, Rutherglen, as well as Vanilla salon and Eastfield leisure centre in the Lanarkshire town, posting photographs of her visits on her Twitter page last Saturday.

On Thursday, the MP issued a statement confirming she’d had symptoms and gone for a test the same day as her visits.

Paula Ogilvie, owner of Sweet P, said the MP visited her shop for around 10 minutes while one other customer and two members of staff where there. All, including Ms Ferrier, wore face masks.

Ms Ogilvie said: “I’m really disappointed someone in her position chose to visit shops even though she was suffering from Covid symptoms. I have everything in place to keep customers and staff safe. Everything we do to limit the spread of Covid doesn’t matter unless everybody follows the rules.”

Vanilla said: “We can confirm she was in the salon for less than five minutes and there were no clients in at that time. She did not receive any treatments, nor was she in close contact with any staff member.”

South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture, which runs Eastfield leisure centre, said Ms Ferrier visited for around 45 minutes and was “at no time” close to customers.

It’s understood no staff have shown any symptoms since. All three businesses remain open.

Ms Ferrier, in her statement, admitted travelling to London on Monday after developing symptoms and then, after getting a positive result, travelling back to Scotland on the train the following day.

Nicola Sturgeon and other senior SNP figures have called on her to quit Westminster altogether.

Ms Sturgeon said: “Her actions were reckless, dangerous and completely indefensible. I have also spoken to her directly and made crystal clear I think she should resign as an MP.”

Police have confirmed they are investigating the MP. The SNP said yesterday: “The first minister has already made clear her position on Ms Ferrier remaining an MP.”

A spokesperson for the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards said: “We don’t comment on individuals and can neither confirm nor deny receipt of a complaint/referral.”