By-election games: Ferrier’s suspension and what it means for Johnson and Partygate

Tactics reveal how desperate SNP and Tories are to avoid recall petitions, says Sean O’Grady

In some ways, Johnson’s case is more serious as it involves the matter of whether a prime minister lied to parliament (PA)

Margaret Ferrier, the former SNP MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West, has been sanctioned by the House of Commons standards committee for her breach of Covid restrictions, including in the Palace of Westminster. It recommended a suspension of 30 days, which is at the tougher end of such penalties; the Commons as a whole will probably vote to accept the recommendation. But the fate of Ms Ferrier, who is sitting as an independent since losing the SNP whip, carries much wider implications.

What might this mean for Boris Johnson?

There’s good and bad news there. Though ostensibly unrelated, their respective referrals – to the standards committee in Ferrier’s case and the privileges committee in Johnson’s – have their origins in breaking social distancing rules. In some ways, Johnson’s case is more serious as it involves the matter of whether a prime minister lied to parliament.