SNP MP Margaret Ferrier pleads guilty to breaking Covid rules by taking train from Scotland to London after being told to self-isolate
- The MP, 61, travelled from Glasgow to Westminster and back again with Covid
- She travelled to the House of Commons while waiting for the results of test
- Ferrier then made return journey after being informed she had tested positive
- Comes after it emerged last year she claimed £175 in expenses for overnight stay
MP Margaret Ferrier has pleaded guilty to breaching Covid rules by travelling on a train between Scotland and London after being told to self-isolate.
The former SNP MP, 61, made the journey from from Glasgow to Westminster and back again while suffering with Covid between September 27 and 29, 2020.
She travelled to the House of Commons while waiting for the results of a coronavirus test – and then made the return journey after being informed she had the virus.
In a hearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court today Ms Ferrier, an independent MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West, admitted wilfully exposing people ‘to the risk of infection, illness and death’ by visiting various places in the Glasgow area and London having been told to self-isolate.
She stayed overnight in a London hotel before travelling back to Glasgow the following day, where she then visited other places such as a mass in the city’s St Mungo’s church and a bar in Prestwick, Ayrshire. Scotland was under strict instructions at the time.
It comes after it emerged that she claimed £175 in expenses for the overnight stay, according to data released by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.
Her claim, which is within parliamentary rules, shows her paying £525 originally for the September 28 stay, but there is a refund of £350 the next day – for the cost of the two remaining nights.
She had the SNP whip removed in 2020 after the allegations emerged and has come under pressure to resign from her seat, but remains an MP.
Margaret Ferrier (pictured) travelled from Glasgow to Westminster and back again in September 2020 while suffering with Covid
Ferrier pictured outside Glasgow Sheriff Court last year after appearing charged with reckless conduct
In October 2020, the Metropolitan Police said it would take ‘no further action’ against the MP following an investigation.
However, Police Scotland subsequently charged her with culpable and reckless conduct – which she today admitted.
Source: Read Full Article
