AN SNP MP who apologised “unreservedly” after travelling to London while awaiting the results of a Covid test, and back to Scotland by train once it had been confirmed positive, has been suspended by the party.
Margaret Ferrier, who represents Rutherglen and Hamilton West at Westminster, released a statement on Twitter earlier saying that she “deeply regrets” her actions.
She said that she felt ill on Saturday with symptoms of Covid, and so booked a test.
She took the test that same day, but began feeling better and travelled to London on Monday.
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The MP attended Parliament on Monday, and spoke for around three minutes on the effects of Rishi Sunak's Winter Economy Plan and the mass redundancies which have resulted from the coronavirus pandemic.
Having spoken at around 7.20pm, she received the positive results to her coronavirus test later that evening.
Ferrier then travelled back to Scotland the following day by train, an action she said was "wrong".
The MP has apparently been self-isolating ever since.
The SNP's leader at Westminster, Ian Blackford, has suspended the whip from Ferrier.
He said: "I have spoken with Margaret Ferrier this evening who fully accepts that what she did was wrong.
"Margaret will be referring herself to the parliamentary standards commissioner as well as the police.
"I am tonight suspending the whip from Margaret."
A sitting MP cannot be sacked, they have to resign. If the SNP remove the whip from Ferrier permanently then she will have the option to sit as an independent until the next General Election.
Ferrier's position is being further called into question as people remember what the SNP MP said about the Dominic Cummings affair.
After Cummings was found to have breached lockdown regulations, Ferrier said his "actions have undermined the sacrifices that we have all been making in lockdown to protect each other from coronavirus.
"His position is untenable and he must be removed from his post now," she said.
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Paul Sweeney, the former Glasgow Labour MP, commented: "An MP travelling to London by train while awaiting a Covid test result is obviously a stupid thing to do.
"To then travel back to Glasgow by train after receiving a positive result is grossly negligent.
"Ms Ferrier should heed the advice she offered to Mr Cummings, and resign."
Richard Leonard, the Scottish Labour party's leader, said: "Margaret Ferrier’s reckless actions have shown utter contempt for transport workers, colleagues at Westminster, her constituents and the public."
The Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross joined the growing calls for the MP's resignation from his party, tweeting: "We are the middle of a pandemic - travelling hundreds of miles on public transport having tested positive for this deadly virus isn’t a mistake, it’s complete disregard for everything we are fighting against.
"Margaret Ferrier must go, with immediate effect."
Adam Tomkins MSP tweeted: "She caught a train KNOWING she was positive. She KNOWINGLY put lives at risk.
"It’s not enough to suspend her. She cannot be a representative of the people.
"She must resign her seat. Tonight. Now."
Tomkins was echoed by Ruth Davidson, who tweeted: "This Margaret Ferrier case is different - knowingly taking public transport after testing positive for Covid-19 is to put lives at risk. She has to go."
Conservative MP Chris Clarkson added: "There are hundreds of people working at Westminster who have been put at risk by this."
The SNP has been contacted for comment.
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