Margaret Ferrier, the former Member of Parliament for Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency in Scotland, has lost her parliamentary seat after a successful recall petition. The recall petition, signed by more than 10% of the constituency’s electorate, was triggered in response to her actions during the COVID-19 pandemic in September 2020.

Ms. Ferrier came under severe criticism and legal action when she participated in a debate at Westminster after travelling by train while experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Her actions were deemed to have damaged the reputation of the House of Commons and put people at risk of infection, illness, and death. The subsequent police investigation led to Ms. Ferrier admitting to culpably and recklessly exposing the public to the risk of infection. She was ordered to undertake 270 hours of unpaid work and was suspended from the Commons for 30 days, which ultimately triggered the recall petition.

The recall petition, which opened on June 20, closed on Monday, and South Lanarkshire Council announced the results on Tuesday night. Out of the 81,123 electorate, 11,896 people, representing 14.66% of the electorate, signed the petition. A total of 37 returns were rejected.

Ms. Ferrier’s actions, which included attending church and having lunch with a family member while awaiting her COVID-19 test result, and subsequently travelling to London by train to participate in a Commons debate before receiving a positive test result, drew widespread criticism and calls for her resignation. Despite these calls, she did not step down from her position.

After her suspension from the Commons, Ms. Ferrier appealed against the decision, stating that she deeply regretted her actions but believed they had made her a better parliamentarian. However, an independent expert panel upheld the original judgement, leading to her eventual loss of the parliamentary seat.