Scotland could see its first by-election held under parliamentary recall rules after MP Margaret Ferrier was suspended from the House of Commons for 30 days for breaching Covid rules.
MPs overwhelmingly voted to impose the ban on the Rutherglen and Hamilton West politician, potentially paving the way for a by-election.
Under parliamentary rules, MPs who are suspended for 10 sitting days or more are liable to face a by-election – but only if 10 per cent of their constituents sign a recall petition.
This has never happened before in Scotland and has only occurred twice in the UK since the procedure was introduced in 2015.
Would you vote for her recall? Cast your ballot in our exclusive reader's poll
A by-election would be seen as a test for new SNP leader and Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf, with Ms Ferrier having originally been elected as an SNP MP in 2019 before having the whip suspended after her breaches of coronavirus rules emerged.
Read our coverage of how the story unfolded:
MPs suspend Margaret Ferrier for Covid rule breach
Panel's brutal verdict on Ferrier as appeal fails
Ms Ferrier travelled from Scotland to Westminster after testing for Covid in September 2020, and went on to speak in the House of Commons while waiting for the results.
Later, after the test confirmed she was positive for the virus, she took the train back to Scotland.
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