LOCKDOWN BREACH MP GETS BOOT FROM PARLY

Voters oust Ferrier after she risked lives during pandemic

- ANDREW QUINN

MARGARET Ferrier has been sacked as an MP after a recall petition in her constituency.

The former SNP MP's loss means there will now be a by-election in Rutherglen and Hamilton West.

Ferrier will not stand in the by-election, saying she made her decision some time ago.

She was sacked after 14.66 per cent of the electorate 11,896 people out of 81,123 signed the petition against her.

She had been banned from the Commons for 30 days after breaking Covid rules.

This sparked a recall petition in her seat, which closed at 5pm on Monday.

Ferrier lost the SNP whip in 2020 and repeatedly refused to resign, despite facing calls to do so from both Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf.

The petition count started around 3pm yesterday. House of Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle had to be informed of the result before it was made public shortly after 5pm.

The date of the by-election is not known as the motion needs to be passed in parliament, which is in recess until early September.