Nicola Sturgeon warns Margaret Ferrier may face recall as an MP

Nicola Sturgeon has warned that Margaret Ferrier may face being ousted as an MP if she refuses to quit her Rutherglen and Hamilton West seat over her 800-mile round trip with coronavirus.

Margaret Ferrier has not quit as an MP

Ms Ferrier has refused to go despite being urged to do so by her party leader over the journey.

There are growing calls now for a Commons recall process to be triggered, which could see a by-election if 10 per cent of Ms Ferrier’s constituents back a petition calling for this.

Ms Sturgeon told today's coronavirus briefing: "I couldn't be clearer that I think she should step down as an MP because I do think when you have egregious cases of people like MPs breaching the guidelines, there is a danger that it undermines public health messages.

The First Minister visits Burnside Pharmacy in Rutherglen alongside SNP MP Margaret Ferrier. Picture: John Devlin

"For me right now there is nothing more important than the integrity of the public health message and that's why I've made it very clear to her that I think she step down."

And the First Minister added: "If she chooses to not do that, and I hope she will do the right thing, then there are House of Commons procedures that have to be allowed to take their course."

Ms Sturgeon said it was for those in charge of Commons procedures to make a decision on recall, rather then her "pre-empting" such a move

Ms Ferrier has yet to resign from the Commons despite being stripped of the SNP whip and with Ms Sturgeon publicly calling for her to go.

Scotland Yard confirmed it was looking into Ms Ferrier's admission that she travelled 400 miles from Glasgow to London while awaiting the results of a test, and then took the train back after being told the result was positive.

The SNP leader pointed out Ms Ferrier is suffering from Covid, which can be a "nasty illness".

"Perhaps there is an element there of just bearing that in mind in terms of the timing of some of this and any decision she might arrive at," she said.

A recall petition could be triggered if Ms Ferrer is suspended from the Commons for two weeks. Under parliamentary rules, the MP would face a by-election if at least 10 per cent of her 81,000 constituents signed it.

It has emerged SNP chief whip at Westminster, Patrick Grady, agreed to be a "proxy voter" last Monday for Ms Ferrier, which can be done where MPs cannot attend the Commons for health reasons.

But Ms Sturgeon played down suggestions the SNP Westminster chief whip had not done enough to determine the reasons for Ms Ferrier's absence.

She told the daily coronavirus briefing that Mr Grady and the party did not know Ms Ferrier had tested positive last Monday.

"The reason that she gave for leaving a proxy and travelling back home was that a family member was unwell," she said.

"I know there's absolutely legitimate scrutiny about who knew what and when, but sometimes it's not always the case that there's something lying underneath this.

"We didn't know until Wednesday that she had tested positive."

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