The standards committee recommends a 30-day House of Commons suspension for Margaret Ferrier for violating Covid rules.
If imposed, the suspension would presumably result in a by-election in her Rutherglen and Hamilton West district.
Ferrier addressed the House of Representatives in September 2020 while awaiting the results of a Covid test.
After being informed she had tested positive, she returned to Glasgow by train.
She lost the SNP command and has since admitted to violating Covid regulations. The judge ordered her to perform 270 hours of community service.
The charge stated that she had exposed others to the risk of infection, illness, and mortality by failing to self-isolate.
MPs will vote on whether or not to implement the committee’s recommendations, and would generally support the suggested punishment.
A Member of Parliament who has been suspended from the House of Commons for at least 10 days may be recalled and a by-election held if at least 10 percent of registered voters in their constituency sign a petition demanding it.
Labor would have high expectations of prevailing in any Rutherglen and Hamilton West byelection.
Ferrier won the last general election with a 5,230-vote majority for the SNP, with Labour coming in second.
Since losing the SNP whip, she has been seated as an independent member of the House of Commons.
Following Ferrier’s self-referral, the parliamentary commissioner for standards, Daniel Greenberg, launched an investigation into her conduct on 12 October.
By not promptly isolating herself in London, he concluded that she had prioritized her interests over those of the public, posing a “possible risk of harm to the health and life of those she came into contact with.
In addition, the commissioner stated that her actions “caused significant damage to the reputation and integrity of the House of Commons as a whole, and of its members in general” and that individuals in many other professions would have been fired for a similar violation of the lockdown rules.
Expressions of regret
Ferrier explained to the commissioner that her self-referral was “an open admission” and “an indication of regret” that she had brought disrepute to Parliament.
She maintains, however, that she did not prioritize her interests over those of the public.
Glasgow Sheriff Court was informed in August of 2020 that she had taken a Covid test on September 26, 2020, due to a “tickly throat.
She read in church on Sunday and spent over two hours in a Prestwick, Ayrshire bar while awaiting her results.
On Monday, she traveled to London on a train with 183 other passengers and spoke in the House of Commons before learning shortly thereafter that she had tested positive for the virus.
Ferrier wore a face mask in the Commons and sat at a table with DUP MP Jim Shannon for 20 minutes after speaking in the chamber at approximately 19:30.
The positive test result was communicated to her shortly after 20:00 via text message and email.
Fearing she would be forced to self-isolate in a London hotel room for two weeks. The lawmaker decided to take the train back to Glasgow the next day.
New SNP leader Humza Yousaf urged Ferrier to resign as a member of Congress and stated that he was eager to contest a by-election in her district.
He added, “We’ve said from day one that Margaret Ferrier should have resigned due to her irresponsibility.
“We will not take anything for granted, nor will we be complacent. We have strong support in Rutherglen and throughout the entire region, but we must work diligently”.
Shadow Scottish Secretary Ian Murray stated that it was appropriate that Parliament had “thrown the book” at Ferrier and that the SNP still had questions to answer regarding what they knew and did at the time.
“Ferrier should do the proper thing and resign as a member of parliament. “Her constituents deserve better, which necessitates a special election,” he said.
Only three instances of the recall procedure have occurred in the past.
In the first instance, a 2018 petition against DUP MP Ian Paisley failed to reach the 10% threshold.
However, it was met in the other two cases, against Labour MP Fiona Onasanya and Conservative Chris Davies in 2019. Ms. Onasanya did not contest the by-election for her seat, whereas Mr. Davies ran and lost.
The House of Commons allows a recall motion in a member’s home district after 10 sitting days of suspension.
If 10% of local voters sign the motion in six weeks, a by-election will be held.
The suspension must still be approved by MPs, and given the ongoing parliamentary proceedings against Boris Johnson. There is a heated debate about what sanctions should be applied for violations of Covid rules.
Ms. Ferrier may also appeal the decision of the committee.
Rutherglen and Hamilton West, which has changed hands in the past three general elections, is likely to have a by-election.
Labour targeted it before Ms. Ferrier won it with a 9.7% SNP majority in 2019.
An early election would be an immediate test for SNP leader Humza Yousaf, as well as his Labour counterparts Sir Keir Starmer and Anas Sarwar, who are attempting to spark a revival in erstwhile Scottish heartlands.
