THE SNP will only “pretend” to be involved in the push to remove Margaret Ferrier as an MP and trigger a key Westminster by-election, Anas Sarwar has claimed.
The Scottish Labour leader told journalists that his party was “confident” it could get the support it needs to trigger a race to become Rutherglen and Hamilton West’s next MP, if Ferrier is suspended from the Commons for more than 10 days.
As it stands, Ferrier is facing a potential parliamentary suspension of 30 days, which she has appealed. If MPs do approve that sanction, a recall petition will be triggered. If 10% of her constituents sign – around 8000 people – then a by-election will take place in the seat.
Sarwar said his party were confident they could get those signatures, but suggested the SNP would only “pretend” to be involved in the drive to trigger a by-election.
“There’s plenty of anger and frustration, and people realising they have a local MP who broke the law and hasn’t been there fighting their corner,” Sarwar said.
“We’re confident we can get the numbers, but we’re not complacent about that, we have got to do the hard work.
“I imagine it will be only us doing the hard work, other political parties I imagine will want to sit out the process. They might register and pretend they’re involved in the process, but I imagine they’ll want to sit the process out.
“My challenge to them would be, put your money where your mouth is, get out there, get the signatures in and let’s elect a local champion that is on the side of local people in Rutherglen and Hamilton West.”
The Scottish Labour leader (above) said his party would be spending up to the limit, and challenged the SNP to do the same.
There is a confidence in Sarwar’s party that a by-election would result in a Labour win, doubling the party’s number of Scottish MPs to two.
Asked if local Labour members would be the ones to choose their candidate in such a vote, Sarwar said: “Yes.”
Asked if there was a possibility of party bosses selecting a candidate and imposing them on Rutherglen and Hamilton West, Sarwar said: “There will of course be a process where we go through due diligence and long-listing, but of course local members will have the ultimate say.”
And asked how long it may be before Labour names a candidate, Sarwar said: “I think we’re talking weeks.”
He added: “I think we’re really keen to get a bit more clarity on what the timescale is around any potential recall petition and any potential by-election.”
Labour under Keir Starmer has faced criticism for blocking candidates on the left of the party from standing to be MPs.
In one example, Lauren Townsend, a councillor who had the backing of six trade unions, was not allowed to stand on the long-list in part because she had “liked” a tweet from Nicola Sturgeon.
Another bitter row engulfed the party after Sam Tarry, a key ally of Jeremy Corbyn and boyfriend to Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner, was deselected as an MP candidate – before Corbyn himself (below) was also blocked from being a Labour candidate at the next General Election.
But Sarwar insisted to reporters that while "people used to view Labour as the most divided party in Scotland, I think it's now clear that is the SNP".
"People can now see we are a changed Labour party that is determined to deliver change for our country and is now serious about winning elections again," he said.
Ferrier was elected as an SNP MP in 2019, but was suspended by the party the following year after breaching Covid rules – which saw her speak in the House of Commons and take the train between Scotland and England while positive for the virus.
She has already been given a 270-hour community payback order by a court after admitting culpably and recklessly exposing the public “to the risk of infection, illness and death”.
There has never been a by-election in Scotland after a recall petition. If one were to happen in Rutherglen and Hamilton West, it is unlikely to happen before August, and could be pushed back into the winter.
First Minister Humza Yousaf has already said he would welcome a by-election in the constituency – though he has conceded it will take “hard work” for his party to retain the seat.
Previously, the SNP leader said: “We’ve said from day one that Margaret Ferrier should have stepped down because of her reckless action.
“I look forward to fighting that by-election on our strong track record.
“We’ve got strong support in Rutherglen and right across that region. But it will take hard work.”
