Margaret Ferrier, the former SNP MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West, has been sanctioned by the House of Commons standards committee for her breach of Covid restrictions, including in the Palace of Westminster.
The committee recommended a suspension of 30 days, which is at the tougher end of such penalties; the Commons as a whole will probably vote to accept the recommendation. But the fate of Ms Ferrier, who is sitting as an independent since losing the SNP whip, carries much wider implications.
What might this mean for Boris Johnson?
There's good and bad news there. Though ostensibly unrelated, their respective referrals - to the standards committee in Ferrier's case and the privileges committee in Johnson's - have their origins in breaking social distancing rules. In some ways, Johnson's case is more serious as it involves the matter of whether a prime minister lied to parliament.
This story is from the March 31, 2023 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the March 31, 2023 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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