UK: Virus infected MP attended House, told to step down

The Scottish National Party has susupended one of its MP Margaret Ferrier from the party. It is said that Ferrier was tested positive for Coronavorus and attended the House of Commons on Wednesday and later travelled on public transport from London to Edinburgh faced persistent calls to resign on Friday. She is MP from Rutherglen and Hamilton West.Ian Blackford, SNP leader in Westminster, said Ferrier had broken the law and should therefore reflect very carefully on whether she can continue as a Member of Parliament for her constituents. “Nobody is above the law, nobody is above the regulations…I am calling on Margaret to do the right thing.”

Ferrier has apologised for her behaviour in a statement: “I apologise unreservedly for breaching Covid-19 restrictions by travelling this week when I shouldn’t have. There is no excuse for my actions.”“I deeply regret my actions. I take full responsibility and I would urge everyone not to make the same mistakes that I have, and do all they can to help limit the spread of Covid-19”, she added.Ferrier spoke for four minutes in the House of Commons in person. The House has been functioning under strict Covid-secure conditions that include few MPs present, with others joining debates through video link.

Nicola Sturgeon, party leader and Scotland’s First Minister, said she had spoken to Ferrier and asked her to step down as MP. She also faced strong criticism from speaker Lindsay Hoyle. Ferrier’s actions are now a subject of police investigation in London and Scotland, Hoyle said. It could result in a £4,000 fine recently announced by the government for those breaching quarantine regulations.