Shamed MP Ms Ferrier appears in Commons
Shamed Hamiltonwest MP Margaret Ferrier rejoined proceedings at the House of Commons last week.
The question that she asked by video link was her first appearance there since being suspended by the SNP for breaching Covid rules.
And the MP – who said in a recent interview that the most important people were her constituents – began by talking about a new immigration route for British nationals overseas from Hong Kong.
She asked Nigel Adams MP, Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office):“in October this year the government confirmed that a new immigration route for BNOS from Hong Kong will open in January. Unfortunately under the current plans BNOS will still be subject to an expensive immigration health surcharge of £1560 for 30 months and £3120 for five years.will the government consider abolishing the immigration health surcharge for British Nationals Overseas applicants?”
The MP was dumped by the SNP group in Westminster after she travelled from Glasgow to London by train with Covid-19 symptoms in September, and then made the return journey after testing positive.
Since ending self-isolation, the MP has voted by proxy on a few occasions with Jonathan Edwards, a suspended Plaid Cymru MP, casting a vote on her behalf.
Because of Covid rules, Ferrier, now an independent, asked her question via remote video link.
Ferrier had also visited church the day after taking the Covid test and several businesses across her constituency on the day she experienced symptoms.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, as well as several of Ferrier’s peers, were outraged by her actions and called for her to resign, but the MP has refused to step down and even referred to the incident as a“blip”and claimed the virus had made her act out of character.
The Metropolitan Police in London have since confirmed they would not take action but Police Scotland have said that the case remains under investigation.
Ferrier was also due to quiz Boris Johnson at Prime Minister’s Questions last week after being listed to ask a question.