Total Recall On Sturgeon’s Bad Judgement; SNP Leader Nicola Sturgeon fails to get SNP MP Margaret Ferrier to step down from Westminster, Sturgeon’s PR opportunity dies a lonely sad death as it is it remains unlikely the benchmark for a by-election will be reached, the spotlight still remains firmly on her husband Peter Murrell, why he hasn't he resigned or been sacked yet, if endangering lives is Sturgeon’s benchmark, why hasn’t Sturgeon and her Health Sec Jeane Freeman both resigned over Scottish Care Homes deaths?

Dear All 

Regardless what pops up in the tsunami of SNP media manipulation which Nicola Sturgeon is keen to pump out in Scotland, one fact remains; he was involved in the attempt to imprison Alex Salmond. Whatsapp messages which he had been forced to admit he sent paint a picture, what we don’t know, was what was beyond whatsapp? Today is a drip drip effect of information in the media regarding Sturgeon’s ‘evidence’ to the Holyrood committee, to save time, one has to ask has her ‘evidence’ vetted by lawyers, the SNP or her SNP government advisors. I think many people would not be surprised if lawyers; and her clique weren’t already involved prior to public domain publication. 

Her ‘evidence’ will tell us nothing. 

As pressure steps up on her husband Peter Murrell to be sacked, Nicola Sturgeon is looking for someone, anyone to throw to dogs, call it deflect, call it anything you want, but Sturgeon is looking for a ‘body’ to be offered up. Luckily for her, a ready made sacrifice has emerged in the shape of SNP MP Margaret Ferrier; you was found out to be positive and travelled to and from Westminster while infected. Margaret Ferrier is an idiot, she was an idiot before her covid scandal, her take on economics was blasted since she didn’t know what the hell she was talking about, and her picture taken under a huge Irish flag, another act of stupidity. So, Ferrier has a history, but as well as being SNP lobby fodder, she was a ‘useful’ idiot to the SNP. The SNP election and operational strategy is all about creating division between communities and groups. 

After it was announced that Margaret Ferrier had tested positive for covid, Nicola Sturgeon and her team saw an opportunity, at present this is just that, a PR opportunity. What Sturgeon wants is to generate interest in a recall petition since Ferrier hasn’t resigned as an MP. Nicola Sturgeon is in such a hole, she will do anything to save herself and her husband. The next Westminster election is in 2024, so if Ferrier goes, she loses 3 years and 8 months wages, pension contributions and expenses, a tidy sum. Given the way that Sturgeon and the SNP attack dogs piled in on her so quickly, I think Ferrier is now wiser. She isn’t going anywhere. So, what is a recall petition and what does it do? Recall petition are for bad people, people who act in a criminal manner is the most common factor in deciding to call for one. What the recall petition hasn’t setup for is to punish MPs stupidity, and crux of the matter is Ferrier’s stupidity. If the benchmark was stupidity, the bar for several others in parliament has already been met and surpassed. 

In due course, the law and the Commons standard committee will render decisions on her actions; this is right and proper, and more important fair. But, the real question is has she reached the benchmark for a recall? Forget the faux anger, the contrived moral outrage, and those seeking gain, look at what she did, she can’t excuse what she did, and I place no value whatsoever on her apology. So, I say this, the benchmark for a recall petition in my opinion hasn’t been met, and with that everyone who wanted her out for whatever reason will have to suck it up. Nicola Sturgeon in my opinion won’t get her by-election to get rid of a Salmond ally, and opposition parties should have better things to do with their time rather than helping carry Nicola’s load. 

Recall petitions require at least 10 per cent of Rutherglen and Hamilton West’s 81,000 constituents to sign it, given covid restrictions, canvassers cannot go knocking on the doors hoping to drum up interest. As to an online petition, the validity of the route wouldn’t fly with the Westminster authorities, because of the lack of security. As funny as it seems, covid is now saving Margaret Ferrier’s bacon, and given the passing of time, the public will be less interested in putting pen to paper. Think about it, someone knocks on your door over something that happened six months ago or longer about something which never affected you. Recall petitions to get traction require a community backlash; it isn’t going to happen here. 

Margaret Ferrier could and probably did infect some people at various locations, Westminster, the trains, the gym, the church and the hair salon, but I don’t see 8,100 people biting to this. Recall Petitions can only be triggered in certain situations such as if the MP was convicted in the UK of an offence and sentenced to prison with all appeals exhausted. If the sentence is less than a year, a recall petition is triggered, with only imprisonment for more than one year seeing the seat vacated automatically. 

Margaret Ferrier wouldn’t be doing prison time, at best, she will get a hefty fine; maybe some community service if that is still running, I can’t even see her getting a suspended sentence. The reason for this; is that she will put up a medical defence; whoever represents her will simply say that that covid affected the balance of her judgement aka brain fog. She did it, but she didn’t recognise what she was doing was wrong because of the illness. Brain fog with covid is a recognised symptom, although I think she should be suspended by the House for 12 weeks, I don’t see them being so harsh, I would suggest the trigger has been set wrong. Would the Committee on Standards sanction her for the required ten sitting days to pave the way for the triggering of a by-election? I am not so convinced, because as much as Nicola Sturgeon wants a by-election to shutdown scrutiny of her and her husband, Westminster MPs on the committee with the exception of the SNP might not wish to play Nicola’s game. 

Did you notice how quick Nicola Sturgeon made clear last week she thought the shamed MP should go? 

Did you notice how quick her MPs and MSPs joined that call, so quick, you could be forgiven for thinking this was organised, but at the end of the day, Sturgeon had to admit she had no power to force Ferrier out and make a by-election happen. 

Sturgeon said: 

“It’s a statement of fact that no party leader can force an MP or an MSP in Scotland to stand down. When you are elected to Parliament you are elected as an individual, so parties cannot force people to stand down. What parties can do is decide whether or not you sit within their group and the SNP has withdrawn the whip. I think it would be wrong for me to start to speculate about these processes in a way that might pre-empt or any way prejudice their consideration – but I think she should step down and make all of that a moot point.” 

Finally, the world will turn, judgement on Ferrier will happen by either; the Commons or the law, or both. It will even make the papers, but it won’t be front page news, it wouldn’t be part of the current agenda when it does happen. Margaret Ferrier has nearly 3 years and 8 months left of her term, and a lot can happen in that time. One thing she can do is post saying sorry is play the waiting game. Nicola Sturgeon and her husband Peter Murrell may not be around come Westminster 2024. If there is a new Salmond supporting regime in control of the levers of power in the SNP HQ, she could find herself back in the fold. If the SNP is willing to accept anti-Semites back in their ranks, how can anyone think that an idiot is beyond re-admittance?

Yours sincerely

George Laird                                                                                                                                The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University