SHAMED MP Margaret Ferrier's constituents have declared they want her out of her Westminster seat after she was sentenced for breaking coronavirus rules.
Furious locals within the politician’s Rutherglen patch have told the Glasgow Times that she ‘escaped justice’ after leaving Glasgow Sheriff Court with 270 hours of unpaid work for the Covid breaches.
Ferrier was told the sentence was a direct alternative to custody and that she would need to carry out the unpaid work within nine months.
The 62-year-old admitted culpably and recklessly exposing the public “to the risk of infection, illness and death” as a result of her behaviour.
Sentencing her on Tuesday, Sheriff Principal Craig Turnbull said: “The public rightly expects the people elected to represent them to set an example.
"Your behaviour was deliberate and extended over a number of days.
"The gravity of harm that could have resulted from your actions could have been significant.
“You wilfully ignored the rules and did not isolate. Having tested positive you wilfully disregarded guidance and travelled by train.”
He added: “It cannot be overlooked that your behaviour took place at a time of significant restrictions and before the vaccination programme had begun.”
Ferrier was elected as the SNP MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West in 2019 after snatching the seat from Labour.
She had the party whip removed in 2020 after the allegations against her emerged and has repeatedly ignored public pressure to relinquish her seat in the House of Commons.
Now furious locals in her constituency have called for the shamed MP to step away from politics - and told the Glasgow Times her reputation in the local community is in tatters.
Elizabeth McNaul, 73, from Rutherglen, says she believes Ferrier has escaped any 'proper justice'.
She added: “She broke the rules while the rest of us had the decency to stick to them, she should have been jailed in my opinion.
“She has shown no remorse whatsoever and her behaviour from start to finish around this has been appalling.”
Noreen Moore says that Ferrier has no future in politics and called for her to go.
The 70-year-old local added: “I would never vote for her after what she has done. She is a disgrace and has no right to think she can continue to represent this area.
"She should do the decent thing and stand down.
“She’s basically got away with it as the court's sentence isn't much of a punishment."
Tracey Shannon, 52, added: “She clearly thinks she’s above other people and has thought nothing of putting them at risk. I think she has a cheek to try and stay on as the MP here.
"She will never get my vote.”
Rebecca McGlone, 82, from Rutherglen, said: “She’s basically got off too lightly.
"Community service isn’t much of a punishment considering she put lives at risk. Quite frankly she’s shameless and has no regard for anyone other than herself.
“The sheriff should have thrown the book at her.”
However, Stacey Kyle, 45, believes she should be given a second chance.
She added: “I’m sure she regrets her conduct and I believe everyone deserves a second opportunity. She has done a lot of good for the community over the years and I think people will move on from this in time."
Glasgow Sheriff Court previously heard that the MP travelled in and around Glasgow and to London in September 2020 after taking a test for the virus.
While awaiting the results, she also spoke in the Houses of Parliament and visited elsewhere in London.
A court heard she then took the train home to Glasgow after being told she had tested positive for Covid-19.
During the hearing last month, the court heard that Ferrier, of Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire, did a test for Covid-19 on September 26 after showing symptoms, including a cough.
The next day she read to a congregation of about 45 people at a mass in St Mungo’s Church, Glasgow, before heading to Vic’s bar in Main Street, Prestwick, South Ayrshire.
She then travelled to London by train on September 28 and spoke in the Commons later that day.
A short time after, she found out she had tested positive for the virus.
Ferrier then returned to her hotel, where she spent the night, before heading back to London Euston and taking the train home to Glasgow, knowing she had Covid-19.
Contact tracers for NHS Test and Protect attempted to contact Ferrier on four occasions but were unable to do so leaving two voicemails.
Ferrier later contacted Test and Protect and disclosed that she had a "slight and infrequent cough" the day before her test and said she didn't believe she would be positive.
Defence lawyer Brian McConnachie KC said that Ferrier, a divorced mother of one, felt remorse for her actions and is someone of good character who has made a significant contribution to her community through her work as an MP.
Ferrier made no comment to the media as she left Glasgow Sheriff Court.
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article