A crunch by-election is to take place in Scotland after voters sacked an MP who travelled across the country despite having Covid-19 at the height of the pandemic.
Margaret Ferrier took a train from London to Scotland in September 2020, the morning after testing positive for the virus.
The Rutherglen and Hamilton West MP was suspended by the SNP and last year was sentenced to 270 hours of community service at Glasgow Sheriff Court after pleading guilty to “culpable and reckless conduct”.
MPs also voted to suspend Ferrier from the House of Commons for 30 days last month, thereby triggering a recall petition in her seat, which she retained for the SNP in 2019 with a majority of 5,240 over Labour.
It was announced today that 11,896 voters in her seat - 14.6% of the total - signed the petition calling for her removal, comfortably more than the 10% needed to boot her out of the Commons.
That sets up a fascinating contest, with Labour hoping to cement their fightback in Scotland by reclaiming what was once one of the party’s safest seats.
That would be a huge blow to SNP leader Humza Yousaf, who took over from Nicola Sturgeon in March and is under huge pressure to reverse the slide in his party’s popularity.
It is expected that the by-election will take place in the autumn.
Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour’s deputy leader, said: “The people of Rutherglen and Hamilton West have made their voices heard and demanded change.
“For far too long the area has been failed – let down by two incompetent governments and left voiceless in parliament by their rule-breaking MP.
“This cannot go on a day longer than it needs to – the SNP must call a by-election at the very first opportunity so Rutherglen and Hamilton West can get the representation it deserves as soon as possible.”