Margaret Ferrier loses her seat in Parliament after recall petition / A byelection to replace Margaret Ferrier will take place “as quickly as possible”, an SNP MP has said.

41m ago

09.35 BST

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2023/aug/02/rishi-sunak-net-zero-targets-despite-new-oil-and-gas-licences-labour-keir-starmer-uk-politics-live#top-of-blog

 

A byelection to replace Margaret Ferrier will take place “as quickly as possible”, an SNP MP has said.

 

Ferrier lost her seat on Tuesday after results of a recall petition in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency was announced, with a new vote expected in the coming months to replace her.

 

Brendan O’Hara, SNP’s chief whip at Westminster, will now be tasked with filing a writ with speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle to officially vacate the seat.

 

Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland on Wednesday, SNP MP David Linden said the party would seek a byelection “at the earliest possible point”.

 

He said:

 

The SNP chief whip Brendan O’Hara will move the writ the first week that parliament returns from summer recess - that’s the earliest possible point we can do it – and we aim to do that and ensure that we have that byelection as quickly as possible.