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Jan 09, 2024

MPs back 30

Move could lead to byelection in Rutherglen and Hamilton West that would be key

Move could lead to byelection in Rutherglen and Hamilton West that would be key test for Scottish Labour

MPs have voted to suspend the former SNP MP Margaret Ferrier from parliament for 30 days for breaching Covid-19 regulations, potentially paving the way for a byelection.

Thirty-seven MPs opposed the sanction against the independent MP, while 185 supported it, in a vote that would normally pass without opposition.

If 10% of Ferrier's constituents in Rutherglen and Hamilton West now add their names to a recall petition, they will trigger a byelection that would be a test of Labour's hopes of making significant gains in Scotland in the next general election.

Thirty-two Conservative MPs voted against Ferrier's punishment, more than the number who supported it. Other dissenters were the former Tory MP Andrew Bridgen and MPs from Alba, the breakaway party from the Scottish National party, and the Democratic Unionist party.

While supporters of Boris Johnson had been accused of preparing to block Ferrier's suspension on the basis that they feared it could set a precedent if Johnson faced a similar vote, those opposing it on Tuesday included critics of the former prime minister as well as allies such as Jacob Rees-Mogg and Joy Morrissey.

Ferrier lost her appeal last month against the proposed 30-day ban from the Commons over Covid rule breaches. She was found to have damaged the reputation of the house and put people at risk after taking part in a Commons debate and travelling by train while she had Covid in September 2020. A court ordered her to undertake a 270-hour community payback order after she admitted she had "culpably and recklessly" put people at risk.

Tuesday's vote was the first major one on standards in the Commons since November 2021, when all but a few Tory MPs opposed the suspension of Owen Paterson after he was found guilty of paid lobbying by a standards watchdog.

Chris Bryant, the chair of the Commons’ committee on standards, which recommended Ferrier's suspension, said he had "no idea" what was going through the minds of MPs who opposed the sanction.

"A Scottish court found her guilty of a serious offence and the standards committee found that she had lied and engaged in a pattern of behaviour that put others at risk," he told the Guardian.

"Her appeal was unambiguously rejected. I know some colleagues may have acted out of humane sympathy but I fear others simply don't accept that MPs should be accountable for their actions."

Two MPs from Alba defended their votes against Ferrier's suspension, comparing it to the case of the Tory MP Peter Gibson, who admitted traveling by train from London to his home in March 2020 when he had Covid symptoms. However, lockdown restrictions were not in place at the time, unlike in the case of Ferrier.

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The Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, welcomed the vote in favour and said people in Rutherglen and Hamilton West – historically a safe Labour seat – had an opportunity for a "fresh start".

Ferrier was accompanied in the Commons chamber by the Tory former minister Andrew Selous. At one point, Daniel Kawczynski, the Conservative MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham, was seen walking to the opposition benches to shake her hand, and he was listed on the record afterwards as having been among those who opposed the suspension.

Labour already has a candidate in place in the constituency, where Ferrier's majority is 5,320 (9.7%). The SNP, which faces a test against the backdrop of its continuing turmoil, has also called for a byelection.