Covid MP escapes fine for going home to Scotland
A DISGRACED MP who broke Covid rules by making an 800-mile round trip on public transport while suffering from the virus has escaped a £4,000 fine.
Margaret Ferrier, who is resisting calls to quit her seat, was investigated by the Metropolitan Police but will now not face punishment under English laws as a result of a technicality, as a new legal requirement to self-isolate did not come into force until a few days after she took a test.
The force has referred the case back to Police Scotland. However, as a requirement to self-isolate in Scotland is guidance, rather than written into law, she is unlikely to face a penalty. Even if she was found to have broken the law north of the border, the heaviest fine available to police is £60, reduced to £30 if paid promptly.
The Rutherglen and Hamilton West MP travelled from Glasgow to London on Monday Sept 28, after experiencing coronavirus symptoms and taking a test two days earlier.
She gave a speech in the Commons that day and found she had tested positive that evening, before taking the train back to Scotland the following day.
Under the Scottish guidelines, she should have self-isolated as soon as she took the test and waited for a result.
In a statement, the Met Police said that after taking legal advice, it had concluded that new laws relating to selfisolation in England only applied from after Sept 28. While Ms Ferrier’s return train journey came on Sept 29, it was three days after she is believed to have taken the test, meaning “the regulation does not apply”.
Under the law that came into force last month in England, people who “recklessly ” break s elf- i s olation requirements face £4,000 fines.
However, Nicola Sturgeon has so far not brought in penalties in Scotland for breaking self-isolation, saying she is concerned that doing so could deter people from taking tests.
The Met said: “On detailed examination of this new legislation, and following legal advice, it was concluded that this regulation is applicable only after the 28th September 2020.”