The MP who turned up at the Commons... in her wedding dress
(despite wanting Scotland to divorce Westminster)
SHE branded Westminster an ‘out of touch institution’ and campaigned to wrest Scotland from its clutches.
But a year after being elected as an MP it appears Natalie McGarry has developed a fondness for the mother of parliaments – after choosing to have her wedding blessed there.
The Member for Glasgow East, who has been suspended by the SNP, stunned onlookers on Wednesday evening by turning up at Westminster in her wedding dress.
She decided to keep the vintage ivory garment on when a vote was called on a disability issue, allowing her to mingle with fellow politicians in the lobby.
Miss McGarry even wore the dress for an official photograph of all female MPs in the Commons chamber to mark the 150th anniversary of the campaign to give women the vote.
Eyewitnesses said around 30 Nationalist MPs attended the blessing, along with MP Michelle Thomson – who has also been suspended from the SNP. The service was held in the building’s historic Chapel of St Mary Undercroft.
Miss McGarry married her longterm partner, Glasgow Conservative councillor David Meikle, last month.
Yesterday, she wrote on Facebook: ‘Absolutely privileged to be able to have our marriage blessed by Father Pat in the regular mass on Wednesday in St Mary Undercroft. Thanks to all well-wishers. Yes, I went through division lobby in my dress. No matter what any of us are doing, we should always support those in our communities with disability issues.’
She added on Twitter: ‘Thank you to colleagues across chamber for your lovely congratulations on my marriage. As a child, I never thought I’d be an MP, or married!’
Last week, it emerged police have searched Miss McGarry’s home as they investigate claims that around £30,000 went missing from the Women for Independence group she co-founded.
The MP quit the SNP Westminster whip and was automatically suspended last year when an inquiry was launched into the claims. She has always denied any wrongdoing.
Police Scotland confirmed last week it had received a separate report concerning her. It is understood there are new alleged financial irregularities involving the Glasgow Regional Association of the SNP.
Earlier this year, it was reported in a pro-independence newspaper that a meeting of the GRA heard claims that £4,127.62 could not be accounted for in end-of-year accounts. Miss McGarry was convener of the group from September 2011 until 2014-15.
Last month, after a legal action against her was settled out of court, she had to apologise and agreed to pay out £10,000 after falsely claiming on social media a pro-Union campaigner was a ‘Holocaust denier’.