Ferrier recall petition to close on Monday
The petition in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency will close at 5pm.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The recall petition sparked by the suspension of MP Margaret Ferrier from the House of Commons is due to close on Monday.
Ms Ferrier was found guilty of breaching Covid restrictions after travelling between London and Glasgow while knowing she had contracted the virus.
The Rutherglen and Hamilton West MP – who has sat as an independent since being kicked out of the SNP – was subsequently suspended from the Commons for 30 days, sparking a recall petition that could lead to a by-election.
With petition signing places due to close at 5pm on Monday, 10% of the electorate – 8,113 people of 81,124 who live in the constituency – are required to spark a contest.
Both the SNP and Labour are expected to campaign hard for the seat in the event of a by-election, with a contest the parliamentary test for new First Minister Humza Yousaf.
The closure of the petition comes in the days after former first minister Alex Salmond spoke out in support of Ms Ferrier, accusing former SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon of throwing her to the “media wolves” after the party whip was withdrawn in the wake of the breaches becoming public, accusing the party of a “totally depressing display of disloyalty”.
Mr Yousaf rejected the claims, saying: “It’s not just an error of judgment of course, Margaret Ferrier was guilty of a number of charges as well. That’s pretty serious.
“I think Alex Salmond, perhaps not for the first time in this regard, is in a minority in terms of how Margaret Ferrier has been treated.”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.