By-election to be held in Scotland after lockdown-breaking Margaret Ferrier recalled
The by-election will be a real test for both the SNP and Labour, ITV News Correspondent Peter Smith reports
A by-election will be called in Scotland after a former MP was recalled by her constituents following her suspension from Parliament over Covid lockdown breaches.
Margaret Ferrier, formerly an SNP MP before being sacked, has been removed from her Rutherglen and Hamilton West seat after 14.66% of her constituents signed a petition to remove her.
A date for the by-election has not yet been confirmed.
Scottish Labour’s Deputy Leader Jackie Baillie said a date should be set immediately.
“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," she said.
“Scottish Labour’s candidate Michael Shanks is ready to hit the ground running and be the local champion his home constituency deserves."
The Glasgow politician sparked fury in 2020 when she travelled on a public train from London to Scotland while aware she had contracted coronavirus.
She was arrested shortly thereafter and sentenced to carry out 270 hours of community service - but she refused to resign, despite calls within her own party.
The MP attempted to justify her actions by explaining she only had mild symptoms at the time however she did apologise and said she "deeply regretted" her decision to travel.
But the Committee on Standards recommended a 30 day suspension for her actions in early June, opening the door for a by-election.
If an MP is suspended from Parliament for more than ten days, it triggers a recall petition which must be signed by 10% of her constituents in order to spark a by-election.
It's the fourth by-election this year, after a historic three were held on the same day on July 20.
The Tories, who narrowly held one seat that day but lost two others, will be happy about the reduced pressure in the upcoming Scottish by-election because they are not having to defend a previously safe seat as they were in Selby and Somerton where they lost.
Ms Ferrier's vacated seat provides an opening for Labour, which is hoping to restore its foothold in Scotland after the demise of Nicola Sturgeon and the chaos which has ensued in the SNP following her resignation as leader.
The SNP has virtually wiped out Labour in Scotland over the past decade but Sir Keir Starmer is hoping his replacement of Jeremy Corbyn as leader and the removal of his ally Richard Leonard as Scottish leader means he can claw back territory north of the border.
Asked by ITV News in March whether he believes his party can win Rutherglen and Hamilton West, Sir Keir said: “Yes, I do, and I want the chance to go out there, as with everywhere else, and win every vote."
SNP leader and Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf said: "Every Labour candidate standing in Scotland - including here in Rutherglen and Hamilton West - does so on a regressive platform of maintaining among the very worst of Tory policies."
He added: "At every stage of this campaign, the SNP will promote the interests and needs of all the people of Rutherglen and Hamilton West. By contrast, Labour in Scotland is a mere branch office, doing the bidding of their bosses at Westminster."
It is not a contest in which the Conservatives will be feeling optimistic, given its performance in the July by-elections.
A narrow victory in Uxbridge restored confidence to some in the but turned many against the government's green policies after the win in outer London was put down to the local candidate's opposition to the Ulez expansion which charges drivers of high emission vehicles.
Two more by-elections are expected soon, with the Tories having to defend both seats.
Nadine Dorries, the MP for Mid Bedfordshire, announced she would be standing down with "immediate effect" almost two months ago on June 9 after claiming she was blocked from a peerage Boris Johnson was seeking to bestow on her by Rishi Sunak.
She said she was quitting in protest but has still not officially informed Parliament of her intension to resign. It is thought the MP will do this soon.
A council within her constituency, Flitwick town, recently published an open letter saying there was “concerns and frustration about the situation” and urging her to “immediately vacate”.
She has a huge majority of 24,664, so it would be an embarrassing loss for the government.
The other expected by-election could come in Tamworth, where the MP Chris Pincher could also soon be recalled.
He was recently recommended for an eight-week suspension by the standards committee after it found he drunkenly “groped two individuals”.
If MPs approve his punishment, as they are expected to, it is not unlikely 10% of his constituents would sign a recall petition and a by-election would follow.
MPs are currently in recess cannot vote on his suspension until after they return on September 4, meaning confirmation of the by-election is weeks away.
With a majority of 19,634, the Tories will be hoping they can hold the seat however that is by no means certain given the current climate.