Margaret Ferrier faces being kicked out of her seat by her constituents, the SNP’s Westminster leader has warned her as she continued to ignore Nicola Sturgeon’s personal appeal to quit. Ian Blackford said the Rutherglen and Hamilton West MP, who travelled from Scotland to the Commons and back by train while suffering from coronavirus, should “do the honourable thing” and resign her seat. In a direct warning to Ms Ferrier, he told the Daily Telegraph that failing to resign “on her own terms” would mean she risks “having her fate taken out of her hands.” SNP chiefs are understood to believe that she will be suspended from Parliament for at least 10 sitting days, or 14 consecutive days, the benchmark that could allow her constituents to recall her and force a by-election. But they are extremely worried that the longer Ms Ferrier clings on, the more damage will be inflicted to Ms Sturgeon’s public health message to the Scottish people and her personal authority. The First Minister spoke on Friday morning to the MP, whom she described as a friend, urging her to resign but the 60-year-old defied her. She did not quit even when the Metropolitan Police launched an investigation on Friday evening.
