Just fecking go.
Margaret Ferrier: Commons speaker angry at 'reckless' Covid trip MP - BBC News
The House of Commons speaker has said he is "very, very angry" at the "reckless" behaviour of an MP who travelled from Glasgow to London with Covid-19 symptoms, then returned home after testing positive.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle said he could not believe that Margaret Ferrier had put other people's health at risk.
And he said she had not initially given a straight story to the authorities.
Ms Ferrier has been suspended by the SNP and faces calls to quit as an MP.
An Assistant Serjeant at Arms in the Commons has been told to self-isolate after being close to Ms Ferrier when she spoke in the Commons on Monday while awaiting the results of a coronavirus test.
Ms Ferrier has apologised and said she "deeply regretted" her actions but has given not yet given any indication of whether or not she intends to continue sitting as an independent MP.
She has referred herself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, as well as to the police.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who is also the SNP leader, told her daily coronavirus briefing that Ms Ferrier had been guilty of the "worst breach imaginable".
And she said she had made it "crystal clear" to her that her "reckless, dangerous and completely indefensible" actions meant she should stand down in the interests of the overall integrity of the public health message.
When asked by the BBC whether he believed Ms Ferrier should quit as an MP, Sir Lindsay replied: "I would expect the member to consider what they have done, and the reckless behaviour, and how that looks to the rest of the country.
"This sends all the wrong messages. People have really got to consider their position on that."
The Speaker expressed his "complete shock that somebody could be so reckless" and said he was "really very, very angry" that "the House has been put at risk".
He said Ms Ferrier had then put "a whole different set of people at risk" by travelling on public transport after testing positive for the virus.
He also criticised the speed at which he was informed about the incident - but blamed the MP, rather than the SNP.
Sir Lindsay said: "Not to be told until Wednesday is not acceptable, and we were hearing different stories, different messages, that made it even more difficult to deal with."
Ms Ferrier, the MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West, said she had experienced "mild symptoms" on Saturday and was tested for coronavirus.
However, she decided to travel by train to Westminster on Monday before getting her result because she was "feeling much better".
She spoke for four minutes in the Commons chamber during a coronavirus debate - tweeting a video of her speech - but was told later that evening that she had tested positive for the virus.
Despite this, Ms Ferrier took a train back to Scotland on Tuesday, with SNP whips in the Commons being told about her positive test on Wednesday.
It is understood she had initially told the party she was going home because a family member was unwell.
A spokesman for the party said the SNP's chief whip immediately informed parliament authorities after learning of Ms Ferrier's positive test on Wednesday.
But he said it was not until Thursday that the SNP discovered that Ms Ferrier had been tested prior to travelling to London and had then travelled back to Glasgow despite knowing that she had a positive result.
Ms Sturgeon said she was only told on Thursday afternoon - shortly after she faced opposition leaders at first minister's questions in the Scottish Parliament.
Ms Ferrier's actions became public when she tweeted an apology at about 18:00 on Thursday.
SNP sources initially said they would await the result of a police investigation into her actions before deciding whether or not she would be suspended.
Police Scotland confirmed they had been contacted by Ms Ferrier, saying officers were "looking into the circumstances" and liaising with the Metropolitan Police Service.
Ms Ferrier could face a £4,000 fine for a first-time offence of coming into contact with others when she should have been self-isolating under a law that came into force on the day of her positive test.
Ian Blackford, the SNP leader at Westminster, earlier told BBC Breakfast that "nobody is above the law" and calling on Ms Ferrier to "do the right thing".
SNP MPs David Linden, Kirsty Blackman and Stephen Flynn have also called for her to step down.
BBC Scotland's chief political correspondent, Glenn Campbell, said there may be a way for Ms Ferrier's constituents to force her out if she refuses to quit.
This would require her to first be suspended from the Commons for a fortnight or ten sitting days by the standards committee.
If 10% of registered voters in her constituency then signed a recall petition within the next six weeks, her seat would become vacant and a by-election would be called.
But the party announced her suspension about an hour later, with Ms Sturgeon subsequently tweeting that the MP's actions had been "indefensible".
Margaret Ferrier: Commons speaker angry at 'reckless' Covid trip MP - BBC News
The House of Commons speaker has said he is "very, very angry" at the "reckless" behaviour of an MP who travelled from Glasgow to London with Covid-19 symptoms, then returned home after testing positive.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle said he could not believe that Margaret Ferrier had put other people's health at risk.
And he said she had not initially given a straight story to the authorities.
Ms Ferrier has been suspended by the SNP and faces calls to quit as an MP.
An Assistant Serjeant at Arms in the Commons has been told to self-isolate after being close to Ms Ferrier when she spoke in the Commons on Monday while awaiting the results of a coronavirus test.
Ms Ferrier has apologised and said she "deeply regretted" her actions but has given not yet given any indication of whether or not she intends to continue sitting as an independent MP.
She has referred herself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, as well as to the police.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who is also the SNP leader, told her daily coronavirus briefing that Ms Ferrier had been guilty of the "worst breach imaginable".
And she said she had made it "crystal clear" to her that her "reckless, dangerous and completely indefensible" actions meant she should stand down in the interests of the overall integrity of the public health message.
When asked by the BBC whether he believed Ms Ferrier should quit as an MP, Sir Lindsay replied: "I would expect the member to consider what they have done, and the reckless behaviour, and how that looks to the rest of the country.
"This sends all the wrong messages. People have really got to consider their position on that."
The Speaker expressed his "complete shock that somebody could be so reckless" and said he was "really very, very angry" that "the House has been put at risk".
He said Ms Ferrier had then put "a whole different set of people at risk" by travelling on public transport after testing positive for the virus.
He also criticised the speed at which he was informed about the incident - but blamed the MP, rather than the SNP.
Sir Lindsay said: "Not to be told until Wednesday is not acceptable, and we were hearing different stories, different messages, that made it even more difficult to deal with."
Ms Ferrier, the MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West, said she had experienced "mild symptoms" on Saturday and was tested for coronavirus.
However, she decided to travel by train to Westminster on Monday before getting her result because she was "feeling much better".
She spoke for four minutes in the Commons chamber during a coronavirus debate - tweeting a video of her speech - but was told later that evening that she had tested positive for the virus.
Despite this, Ms Ferrier took a train back to Scotland on Tuesday, with SNP whips in the Commons being told about her positive test on Wednesday.
It is understood she had initially told the party she was going home because a family member was unwell.
A spokesman for the party said the SNP's chief whip immediately informed parliament authorities after learning of Ms Ferrier's positive test on Wednesday.
But he said it was not until Thursday that the SNP discovered that Ms Ferrier had been tested prior to travelling to London and had then travelled back to Glasgow despite knowing that she had a positive result.
Ms Sturgeon said she was only told on Thursday afternoon - shortly after she faced opposition leaders at first minister's questions in the Scottish Parliament.
Ms Ferrier's actions became public when she tweeted an apology at about 18:00 on Thursday.
SNP sources initially said they would await the result of a police investigation into her actions before deciding whether or not she would be suspended.
Police Scotland confirmed they had been contacted by Ms Ferrier, saying officers were "looking into the circumstances" and liaising with the Metropolitan Police Service.
Ms Ferrier could face a £4,000 fine for a first-time offence of coming into contact with others when she should have been self-isolating under a law that came into force on the day of her positive test.
Ian Blackford, the SNP leader at Westminster, earlier told BBC Breakfast that "nobody is above the law" and calling on Ms Ferrier to "do the right thing".
SNP MPs David Linden, Kirsty Blackman and Stephen Flynn have also called for her to step down.
BBC Scotland's chief political correspondent, Glenn Campbell, said there may be a way for Ms Ferrier's constituents to force her out if she refuses to quit.
This would require her to first be suspended from the Commons for a fortnight or ten sitting days by the standards committee.
If 10% of registered voters in her constituency then signed a recall petition within the next six weeks, her seat would become vacant and a by-election would be called.
But the party announced her suspension about an hour later, with Ms Sturgeon subsequently tweeting that the MP's actions had been "indefensible".
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